FUNDING which would have seen a building erected to help protect the Brymbo Fossil Forest from the elements has been lost due to reported delays in the project.

The Forest is set to be the jewel in the crown of the Brymbo Heritage Trust’s ‘Stori Brymbo’ project.

However, the Welsh Government is said to have recently withdrawn its offer of approximately £250,000 to help with erecting the building as 'conditions' for the grant 'were not met'.

This has sparked anger and disappointment in the Brymbo community, as well as a petition for a vote of no confidence in Brymbo Heritage Trust's Leadership and Management.

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The Fossil Forest - estimated to be around 300 million years old - is of international importance and a site of special scientific interest.

During work on the Brymbo steel works site in 2003, several large tree-like fossils were uncovered while open-cast mining overlying coal.

After initial assessment by Peter Appleton and Dr Jacqui Malpas, five years of excavation revealed thousands of fossils and over 20 large tree trunk like structures with rooting networks perfectly preserved.

The coal seams themselves were deposited as thick mats of plant debris approximately 300 million years ago in a period of deep geologic history known as the Carboniferous.

Brymbo Heritage Trust managed to secure 'Site of Specific Scientific Interest' status for the forest in 2015, and then funding for the site to be fully fenced. 

The Forest is currently temporarily covered with plastic roll held down by sandbags and residents have expressed concern about whether this is enough to protect it from the elements.

The Leader:

PIC: Brymbo Councillor Paul Rogers.

Commenting on the loss of funding, Councillor Paul Rogers said: "The loss of the funding for the Fossil Forest building has understandably created a lot of anger in the community.

"There appears to be disagreement as to why there was a delay to this part of the project.

"I have personally seen a license which was prepared by the landowner and signed by the Heritage Trust which would have allowed the work to go ahead.

"The Trust asked for this license so they could go ahead with this and at no point did they state that it wasn't sufficient. The structure was basic, it would have afforded the site more protection.

"This is disappointed news however it is important now that everyone including Welsh Government and Wrexham Council work with the landowner to secure funding to make this happen."

"Let's be ambitious and not settle for a building which is second best."

In response, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We continue to work with all partners on work to conserve and promote this site. However, unfortunately the conditions of this particular grant offer were not met.”

Brymbo Heritage Trust has been approached for comment.