Fake grass: Minister performs artificial turf ban U-turn

Minister Julie James has said artificial grass "isn't the short-term solution it looks like"

Fake grass will not be banned in Wales, a minister has said, just days after she said she was exploring the idea.

On Wednesday, Climate Change Minister Julie James said she wanted to see whether a new law banning some single-use plastics could be used for this.

Her comments sparked a backlash from a business owner who said a ban would put her livelihood at risk.

"I don't have the power to ban artificial grass tomorrow morning. And even if I did, I wouldn't," she said.

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Instead, she said she wanted to help people understand the environmental impact of using it in their gardens.She told Politics Wales: "I think we can help people understand how you can have an environmentally friendly bio diverse small space that is very low.

Julie James said she does not have the power to ban artificial grass

"And what we'll do is we'll, you know, embark on a journey with the Welsh public as we always do, to get people to understand."

Businesswoman Carol Hustwitt sells artificial grass on Anglesey and previously said a possible ban on the synthetic material would be "very extreme".

"If that were to come into play, I would have no business," she said.

Politics Wales, BBC One Wales, Sunday at 10:00