Charlotte Church‘s forest school, The Awen Project, could be forced to close amid complaints about “unneighbourly behaviours,” including “rude” children and “illegal” parking.
The school, set up by the Welsh singer on a former pig farm, opened in Wenvoe, near Cardiff, without the necessary permissions in 2024.
Charlotte, 40, applied for retrospective permission in October 2025, but officials refused it, citing concerns about transport safety and noise pollution. The council also found that the project failed to demonstrate how it would “conserve and enhance green infrastructure”.
© Getty ImagesThe decision to refuse the application has since been appealed to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales by Jonathan Field, described on the Awen Project website as a “tribal elder”.
Objecting to the development, Paul and Samantha Edwards said they had “witnessed parents vehicles parking illegally” and said children could be heard screaming and shouting, claiming they “have been ‘rude’ to neighbours”.
They told the Press Association: “These unneighbourly behaviours are detrimental to the amenities of local residents.”
Jonathan Field said in a response: “The fact that children make sound when they are learning, whether that is singing and playing instruments or making excited cries at having discovered something that chimes with their passions, is a terrible reason to argue against them having a place to learn.
“The accusation of unneighbourly behaviours is unfortunately pure projection – totally unfounded and with zero evidence.”
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Euan CherryIn the appeal, he said the refusal of planning permission places the learning community “at risk of immediate and severe disruption. “Many of the children attending have previously struggled in mainstream education and have now found stability, confidence, and purpose at the Awen Project,” he stated, adding: “Removing access to this setting will cause significant emotional and educational harm.”
What is The Awen Project?
The Awen Project, open to children aged 11 to 16, aims to give children an environment “where they feel championed to be themselves and follow their passions as active participants in a democratic community”.
The school, which is free and accepts donations, was originally based in Cwm George and Casehill Woods, near Dinas Powys, with permission from the Woodland Trust.
© Getty ImagesHowever, in 2023, the Woodland Trust revoked the Awen Project’s access due to “multiple breaches” of the permission granted which “posed health and safety concerns” for “visitors and wildlife”.
