CAMPAINGERS who have been fighting to save the Gwent Levels say they are still very concerned for the future of the "fragile" landscape under the current Government. 

The latest development in the fight to save the ancient landscape has included recent, multiple planning applications for what campaigners are calling "inappropriate developments". 

First Minister Vaughan Gething, who has come under fire for controversy surrounding some donations he received during his leadership bid, has recently attempted to reassure the campaigners that they "should be passionate" about the Levels and that his government will continue to do everything they can to protect the environment and the country's sustainability. 

Mr Gething has been subject to specific criticism by Gwent Levels campaigners after it was revealed that the donations in question were received from Dauson Environmental Group, a company who are led by David Neal, a man who has faced previous charges over environmental offences. 

This company have recently submitted a planning application to build a solar farm on the levels, which Gwent Wildlife Trust say would "damage" the landscape of the Levels forever. 

Gwent Wildlife Trust, which are leading the campaign, has said that the Gwent Levels are "fragile and irreplaceable" and do not have a certain future under Mr Gething's leadership, unless their petition is accepted by the Senedd.

The petition, which has to date been signed by more than 6,000 people, calls for the "multiple planning applications" which are currently under consideration, to be stopped and all future planning applications on sites of specific scientific interest (SSSIs) to be refused. 

Gwent Wildlife Trust have also pointed to the Welsh Parliament's declaration that the Levels are "an ancient landscape with a special cultural significance" which are "important for biodiversity, recreation, flood alleviation, carbon storage and food production" as evidence of why these planning proposals should not be being considered. 

The group's petition is currently still under consideration by the Senedd. 

They say the "constant pressure" from developers suggests that the environment is not a primary concern for the Government, despite Mr Gething's reassurance that it remains "a priority" for his cabinet. 

A spokesperson for the Gwent Wildlife Trust added: "It is vital that politicians understand the importance of the Gwent Levels and how passionately people from across Wales, and all walks of life care about this landscape. 

"Gwent Wildlife Trust will continue to fight to safeguard the protected landscape and the teeming wildlife that depends on it alongside individuals, communities and groups on the Levels."