Bridgend County Council and the Environment Agency Wales in conjunction with Glamorgan Wildlife Trust completed the river bank repairs to lower Newbridge fields, in Bridgend Town, last October 2003. Though out the winter months the new block stone embankment has with stood all the river has had to throw at it, even the sandbank on top has amazingly been quite resilient to vandalism.

With Spring now ap pond us we have seen the addition of many willows being planted along the river bank to aid the bank improvements.

 

BEFORE

AFTER

The repairs to the eroded left hand bank became necessary as fears grew for public safety and the impact on the preceding Road bridge. However due the presence of nesting Sand Martins the planned works had been delay until the birds vacated and a new suitable nesting area developed.

The embankment has been replaced with block stone back filled with topsoil and a man made sandbank installed ready for the return of the sand martins.

Sand martins and the law
Sand martins and their nests are fully protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Under the Act it is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird. It is an offence to intentionally take, damage or destroy the eggs or nest of a sand martin while it is in use or being built.

Sand martins often turn up at active sand quarries. They will tunnel into the quarry face even when the sand is being excavated, and in some cases have been known to start nesting in heaps of loose sand. Quarry owners and their workers are likely to be helpful if warned about nesting sand martins, and can often work around the colony or avoid the immediate area until nesting has finished.

Source: Sand martin wildlife information leaflet (1998)