Corris residents are in uproar over plans to drive tens of thousands of tons of timber through their village over the next 12 years.

Residents are concerned over child and pedestrian safety, noise and the structural impact on the road, their houses and an ancient bridge that sits in the centre of the south Gwynedd village.

In January investment management firm Gresham House announced plans to use the single-track A487 to drive timber harvested from their recently purchased commercial forest, Ffynnon Badarn in Aberllefenni.

Using management company Tillhill Forestry they plan to drive the harvested spruce wood through Corris for the next 10-12 years, starting this spring.

The first ‘extraction’ would involve moving 10-12,000 tons of timber using roughly 400 lorries.

A map showing where the Ffynnon Badarn spruce wood forest sits in relation to Corris
A map showing where the Ffynnon Badarn spruce wood forest sits in relation to Corris (Tustins/ OS)

At a January public meeting hosted by Corris Community Council between residents and representatives from Gresham House and Tillhill, resident Wayne Colquhoun said: “Homes, the cafe, Slaters Arms pub and Corris Institute [community centre] where after the school club is hosted all open directly onto the road without a pavement - a child could be killed.

“I feel I have to speak tonight as I don’t want to live with the death of a child on my conscience.

“Bridge Street has at least four historic Grade II listed structures including Capel Salem which I own.

“The gates and walls of Capel Salem are moving with the rattling of road traffic and there is serious movement in the bridge - the road was designed for horse and carts, not 44-ton lorries.

“We don’t want it clogged with traffic or be somewhere you risk your life by walking out of your house.”

Corris resident Wayne Colquhoun recently snapped these pictures in early February of a lorry getting stuck for nine minutes on the Corris main road - the same road the timber lorries would use
Corris resident Wayne Colquhoun recently snapped these pictures in early February of a lorry getting stuck for nine minutes on the Corris main road - the same road the timber lorries would use (Wayne Colquhoun)

Frances Chisholm, owner of Corris cafe Idris Stores, joined residents in urging Tillhill to “use the existing road through Natural Resources Wales (NRW) land” instead, adding: “This would provide a more sustainable and less disruptive option and the cost to NRW would be a small fraction of the financial returns gained from selling the wood.

“By sending heavy lorries through our village, Tillhill is effectively shifting the long-term costs of environmental damage and infrastructure wear and tear onto taxpayers.

“This is unacceptable when a viable alternative exists.

“We believe Tillhill should bear the environmental and maintenance costs associated with their operations and opt for a route that minimises harm to the community.”

Structural issues captured on the old bridge in Corris
Structural issues captured on the old bridge in Corris (Wayne Colquhoun)

Cambrian News understand that Gresham House/ Tillhill currently doesn’t have the right to access alternative haulage routes such as NRW tracks, which could cost them between £72-84,000 to move the first 12,000 tons.

Frances also cited the “extremely dangerous” stopping distances of timber haulage lorries, the potential for vehicles needing to reverse on the single-track, and the blind spots and bends in the road which is already prone to issues.

At the meeting, Gresham House stated they would look at other routes and ways of managing traffic including time restrictions, speed limits and limiting loads per day, as well as consider a financial contribution to the village.

Tillhill recommended putting pressure on Gwynedd County Council to join the Timber Transport Forum Wales, which has successfully moved timber transport away from villages in the past.

Gwynedd county councillor John Pughe Hughes said that Gwynedd has since applied to join the Timber Forum, adding: “I feel Gresham House is trying to get better returns for their investments - they need a cheap way to get the timber out, but there are other ways than through Corris.

“They need to speak to NRW and make an agreement with them instead of at Gwynedd Council’s expense.”

The room was full at the public meeting in January held by Corris Community Council, in which both residents and representatives of Gresham House and Tillhill attended
The room was full at the public meeting in January held by Corris Community Council, in which both residents and representatives of Gresham House and Tillhill attended (Wayne Colquhoun)

A spokesperson for charity Sustrans Cymru, whose National Cycle Network route 8 uses the road, expressed “concern” at the impact of these plans on the area and route users, adding that they are working with Gwynedd on the matter.

Responding, a Gresham House spokesperson said: “We are deeply committed to responsible and sustainable investment, which includes meaningful engagement with local communities.

“We acknowledge the concerns raised regarding our proposed operations at Ffynnon Badarn forest and are actively working to address them.

“This involves close collaboration with the community, local councils, and landowners to explore all possible alternative timber haulage solutions that minimise disruption and support local interests.

“We remain dedicated to ensuring our investments generate positive environmental and social outcomes while maintaining open and constructive dialogue with the communities in which we operate."

Tillhill Forestry has not responded to a comment request.