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| Brecon Beacons: Park to use Welsh name Bannau Brycheiniog | Brecon Beacons: Park to use Welsh name Bannau Brycheiniog |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Brecon Beacons National Park will now be calling itself only by its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog | |
| Brecon Beacons National Park will now be calling itself only by its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog | |
| Brecon Beacons National Park has announced that it will use its Welsh language name only in future. | Brecon Beacons National Park has announced that it will use its Welsh language name only in future. |
| The switch - to Bannau Brycheiniog National Park - takes effect on Monday, its 66th anniversary. | The switch - to Bannau Brycheiniog National Park - takes effect on Monday, its 66th anniversary. |
| Park bosses said the change promote the area's culture and heritage, but the area MP said the English name could be kept alongside the Welsh. | |
| It is part of a wider overhaul of how the park is managed, to try and address serious environmental challenges. | It is part of a wider overhaul of how the park is managed, to try and address serious environmental challenges. |
| The Welsh name means "the peaks of Brychan's kingdom" and is pronounced ban-aye bruch-ay-nee-og, with the ch making the same sound as in loch. | |
| Snowdon's English name dropped in favour of Welsh | Snowdon's English name dropped in favour of Welsh |
| National park aims to welcome more diverse groups | National park aims to welcome more diverse groups |
| Brycheiniog - named after 5th Century King Brychan - was an independent kingdom in the early middle ages, and its borders roughly match those of the national park today. | Brycheiniog - named after 5th Century King Brychan - was an independent kingdom in the early middle ages, and its borders roughly match those of the national park today. |
| Resmi Satheesan says it is the place people will travel for regardless of what it is called | Resmi Satheesan says it is the place people will travel for regardless of what it is called |
| Resmi Satheesan, a holidaymaker who is originally from India and is currently based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, visits the park often with her family. | Resmi Satheesan, a holidaymaker who is originally from India and is currently based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, visits the park often with her family. |
| "I think it will take us a while to get used to the name, but I wouldn't mind the change," she said. | "I think it will take us a while to get used to the name, but I wouldn't mind the change," she said. |
| "More than the name, it's the place [people] are coming for. It's like Mumbai and Bombay - there are still people who say Bombay, but we still know what they are talking about. | "More than the name, it's the place [people] are coming for. It's like Mumbai and Bombay - there are still people who say Bombay, but we still know what they are talking about. |
| "I have spoken multiple languages and travelled a lot, and what's not to love about trying something new or learning something about the locals?" | "I have spoken multiple languages and travelled a lot, and what's not to love about trying something new or learning something about the locals?" |
| Laura Howell, from the Gower, Swansea, added: "People will probably keep calling it the Brecon Beacons I imagine, but for those who are Welsh speakers it's a bit of pride and I think it's great that it will be referred to the Welsh way of saying it. | Laura Howell, from the Gower, Swansea, added: "People will probably keep calling it the Brecon Beacons I imagine, but for those who are Welsh speakers it's a bit of pride and I think it's great that it will be referred to the Welsh way of saying it. |
| "I think it's a step forward. We live in Wales, so it should be the case." | "I think it's a step forward. We live in Wales, so it should be the case." |
| Laura Howell from Swansea says the name change is "great" and a point of "pride" for Welsh people | Laura Howell from Swansea says the name change is "great" and a point of "pride" for Welsh people |
| The Conservative MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, Fay Jones, said she had no prior notice of the name change. | |
| "I think a lot of people were a little taken aback by this decision," she said. | |
| "People who live and work in the national park... want to celebrate Welsh culture. But why not use the Welsh name alongside the English name?" | |
| Ms Jones said she had received several messages of concern from constituents and had been "talking to a local business owner this morning who asked if she'd missed a consultation of a chance to feed in her views". | |
| Bannau Brycheiniog National Park's chief executive, Catherine Mealing-Jones, said: "It just felt the right time to reclaim the old name for the area. [It] reflects our commitment to the Welsh language. | Bannau Brycheiniog National Park's chief executive, Catherine Mealing-Jones, said: "It just felt the right time to reclaim the old name for the area. [It] reflects our commitment to the Welsh language. |
| "But we understand people are used to calling the park by the name everyone's used for 66 years, so we don't expect everyone to use it, at least straight away." | "But we understand people are used to calling the park by the name everyone's used for 66 years, so we don't expect everyone to use it, at least straight away." |
| Chief executive Catherine Mealing-Jones says the name change reflects the national park's "commitment to the Welsh language" | Chief executive Catherine Mealing-Jones says the name change reflects the national park's "commitment to the Welsh language" |
| It is the second of Wales' national parks to adopt a Welsh-only name, following Eryri (formerly Snowdonia) last year. | |
| Bannau Brycheiniog covers approximately 520 square miles (1,347 sq km) of south and mid Wales and attracts about four million visitors a year. | |
| Its industrial heritage has won Unesco World Heritage status for the former coal-mining community of Blaenavon. | Its industrial heritage has won Unesco World Heritage status for the former coal-mining community of Blaenavon. |
| But recent reports on the state of the natural environment have flagged several concerns. | But recent reports on the state of the natural environment have flagged several concerns. |
| These include a 30% decline in farmland birds since the 1970s, as well as 67% of waterbodies within the Wye catchment, and 88% of Usk waterbodies failing pollution targets. | These include a 30% decline in farmland birds since the 1970s, as well as 67% of waterbodies within the Wye catchment, and 88% of Usk waterbodies failing pollution targets. |
| Part of the plans is to restore 16,000 hectares of damaged peatland within the national park | |
| A new management plan will attempt to reverse declines in wildlife species across the park by 2030, and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035, park bosses have say. | A new management plan will attempt to reverse declines in wildlife species across the park by 2030, and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035, park bosses have say. |
| It will involve working with partners to plant a million trees, restore 16,000 hectares of damaged peatland, build renewable energy schemes and improve public transport. | It will involve working with partners to plant a million trees, restore 16,000 hectares of damaged peatland, build renewable energy schemes and improve public transport. |
| "We've got out of balance between people and nature and the climate," Ms Mealing-Jones said. | "We've got out of balance between people and nature and the climate," Ms Mealing-Jones said. |
| The plans include creation of wildlife corridors to link habitats and work to achieve bathing water quality standard across all rivers. | |
| Greener transport options will include park and ride pilots between Merthyr Tydfil and Brecon. | |
| A focus on local food will see a push towards more fruit and vegetable farming within the park. | A focus on local food will see a push towards more fruit and vegetable farming within the park. |
| Stella Owen, from NFU Cymru, says local farmers need to be able to run profitable, sustainable businesses in the area | |
| "There are still sheep grazing and cattle in the hills and all the things that are central to what you'd expect from this landscape," Ms Mealing-Jones said. | "There are still sheep grazing and cattle in the hills and all the things that are central to what you'd expect from this landscape," Ms Mealing-Jones said. |
| "But there's more horticulture going on, vineyards, renewable energy sources, we're capturing more carbon into the peatlands and biodiversity is starting to come back." | "But there's more horticulture going on, vineyards, renewable energy sources, we're capturing more carbon into the peatlands and biodiversity is starting to come back." |
| Stella Owen, NFU Cymru's county advisor, said that, while it was important the national park was put "on a pedestal", local farmers had to have the ability "to run businesses, to be profitable, and to continue in these wonderful, vibrant communities - delivering on the Welsh language, the culture and the social aspect of what we have." | Stella Owen, NFU Cymru's county advisor, said that, while it was important the national park was put "on a pedestal", local farmers had to have the ability "to run businesses, to be profitable, and to continue in these wonderful, vibrant communities - delivering on the Welsh language, the culture and the social aspect of what we have." |
| As part of the rebrand, the authority is ditching a picture of a burning beacon from its logo, arguing that the fiery, carbon-emitting symbol no longer fits with its ethos on fighting climate change. | |
| The park has produced a short film to explain the changes it is making, presented by Welsh actor Michael Sheen. | |
| In it, he said he welcomed "the reclamation of the old Welsh name". | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Blaenavon | Blaenavon |
| St Albans | St Albans |
| Gower | Gower |
| Brecon Beacons | Brecon Beacons |