All-Wales coast path nears completion

Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion paths were joined up this year at St Dogmaels

The 870 mile (1,400km) all-Wales coast path is almost complete, say countryside officials.

Work is currently under way on one the final biggest single sections, the 40 mile (64km) Gower Coast Path.

Meanwhile, Cardiff council officials are due to meet Gypsy site residents, who are concerned about privacy as walkers pass near their council-run site.

The whole route is on schedule to be officially opened next May.

Some of the completed sections are not yet way marked and others will be subject to future improvements, says the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW).

Upgrading work has just started on the largest section of footpath along the Gower coastline which stretches between Caswell and Limeslade.

Estuary

It will run from Mumbles in the south to Crofty in the north via Three Cliffs Bay, Port Eynon and Llanmadoc.

"A lot of work has already been completed to create one single footpath along Gower's coastline," said Chris Dale, Swansea council countryside access officer.

"We have also created entirely new sections which walkers can now enjoy."

The CCW explains that 95% of the path is already complete with some in place for years and other sections requiring only small-scale improvements.

Meanwhile, other areas have required a lot more work such as along the coast in Flintshire, near the English border with Chester and running through Flint and Greenfield on the Dee estuary.

The CCW has been co-ordinating the development of the path with 16 coastal councils and national park authorities.

The path at Greenfield Dock, Flintshire, was renovated at a cost of £140,000

Improvements have been paid for under the Coastal Access Improvement Programme (CAIP), with the assembly government investing £2m a year since 2009 and backed by £3.9m from the European Regional Development Fund.

Consultation

The path stretches from the Dee estuary in Deeside in north east Wales, west to Anglesey, Gwynedd, and down the south west Wales coast going east to Cardiff and Newport with views over the Bristol Channel.

Cardiff council is trying to resolve an outstanding issue with a Gypsy community who are concerned about walkers using a section of the route close to their caravan site at Rover Way.

Tim Wilson from Cardiff Gypsy & Traveller Project said residents' concerns centred around issues of privacy and safety as the route is elevated so the "public would be looking down, and directly in to residents' caravans and utility blocks".

He said: "We have been working with both Cardiff council and site residents on ideas to reduce the impact on site residents, and also looking at an alternative route along the front of the site."

The council says no work on the path will take place until consultation is complete with site's residents.

Cardiff council said: "We were made aware of privacy concerns during a planned community consultation meeting held some time ago.

"It was agreed at this meeting that the council would look into this issue and report back to the residents of Rover Way at a further scheduled meeting, to be held later this month."