Specialist teams remove invasive plant from three Denbighshire hillsides

Work to tackle non-native invasive species of cotoneaster from Prestatyn Hillside, Graig Fawr and Moel Hiraddug has progressed to the next stage.

Although cotoneaster is a popular garden plant, with the flowers attracting bees and the berries favoured by birds, it is incredibly damaging to wild areas, especially rare habitats such as limestone (calcareous) grasslands due to its fast-growing nature, where it can dominate whole hillsides rapidly.

Often growing in hard-to-reach places, the invasive species will be carefully removed and controlled by specialist access teams BODDACC on Prestatyn Hillside and Moel Hiraddug, and by Ground Works on Graig Fawr, whilst avoiding damage to habitats and non-target species.

The Clwydian Limestone Links Project is funded by the Nature Networks Programme being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government and aims to improve the resilience and condition of five SSSI limestone grassland and woodland sites in Denbighshire.

Working in partnership with Denbighshire County Council, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, the North Wales Wildlife Trust, the National Trust and private landowners, the project looks to facilitate management that will enhance the diversity of special features at the sites, increase the extent of the limestone grassland habitats and improve the condition of the plant communities and associated fauna.

Shannon Garside, the project’s nature networks ranger said: “We are grateful to the private landowners and our project partners The National Trust for allowing us access to their sites for this important work, cotoneaster seeds can spread across large areas so having a joined-up approach is really important”

Councillor James Elson, lead member for the environment and transport said: “Supporting and improving our local biodiversity is vitally important and a priority of the Council.

“The project will enhance the habitat connectivity within and between the protected sites by managing nature corridors through the creation and restoration of habitats that link them and limiting the effects that these invasive species are having”.