A controversial Greenpeace mural painted at a wildfire-hit site on Sychnant Pass near Conwy did not cause lasting damage to the area's protected heathland, Natural Resources Wales has concluded.

The mural was created by Greenpeace following the major wildfire which affected Conwy Mountain and the Sychnant Pass area earlier this year.

The environmental organisation used the fire-damaged landscape to create a large-scale message highlighting what it described as the threat posed by climate change and the increasing risk of extreme weather and wildfires.

However, the decision to paint the mural on the mountainside attracted criticism, particularly because Sychnant Pass is an environmentally protected area and local residents had been directly affected by the fire.

Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Senedd for Aberconwy, wrote to First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth raising concerns about the potential impact of the mural on wildlife and the environment.

She also called for such demonstrations to be recognised as environmental vandalism.

In response, Rural Resilience and Sustainability Minister Llyr Gruffydd said Natural Resources Wales (NRW) had carried out a site inspection to establish whether the mural had damaged features of the area's Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

NRW concluded that the mural had been painted on ground which had already been severely affected by the wildfire.

The fire had burnt away the heathland features of the SSSI in the area where the mural was created, meaning NRW found no evidence that the painting itself had caused damage to the protected heathland.

NRW also advised that any remaining paint was unlikely to affect the long-term regeneration of the habitat.

The findings mean that, although the mural generated considerable controversy, there is no evidence that it caused lasting environmental damage to the protected site.

The Sychnant Pass area is particularly sensitive because heathland habitats can take many years to recover after major fires. The landscape is also home to a range of wildlife and forms part of an area designated for its ecological importance.

Minister Llyr Gruffydd nevertheless said people should respect the countryside and behave responsibly when visiting areas recovering from environmental damage.

He said recovery could take many years and additional disturbance should be avoided.

He also highlighted the impact of the wildfire on local residents, businesses and communities, saying particular sensitivity should be shown towards those who had been directly affected.

Greenpeace's action was intended as a visual environmental campaign, using the blackened landscape left by the fire to draw attention to the climate emergency. However, critics argued that using paint on a protected landscape was inappropriate, regardless of the message behind the demonstration.

Janet Finch-Saunders said she welcomed the finding that there had been no lasting environmental damage, but maintained that a precedent should be established to prevent similar actions.

She said Wales had a duty to protect its green spaces, mountains and waterways and argued that the impact on families who had been forced to leave their homes during the wildfire should also have been considered.

She also pointed to the actions of two local residents who removed as much of the paint as they could.

The Senedd member said: “We cannot allow an event like this to happen again.”

The NRW assessment means the environmental consequences of the mural itself appear to have been limited, but the row has highlighted a wider debate over how environmental campaign groups can use sensitive landscapes to make political statements – and where the line should be drawn between protest and damage to the environment.