Senedd debates ‘deeply worrying’ Natural Resources Wales cuts

Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter

Senedd members reiterated calls to protect three popular visitor centres, warning of “deeply worrying” cuts at Natural Resources Wales.

Plaid Cymru’s Mabon ap Gwynfor led a debate on a cross-party motion co-submitted by the Liberal Democrats’ Jane Dodds and the Conservatives’ Sam Rowlands.

He urged Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to speed up the process of ensuring the preservation of the visitor centres at Coed y Brenin, Nant yr Arian and Ynyslas.

Accusing the Welsh Government of dragging its feet, Mr ap Gwynfor told the Senedd that Labour promised nine years ago to create a first-refusal right to buy community assets.

He said people are keen to take control of the centres because they see their value, with around 500,000 visitors attracted each year and about £40m contributed to the economy.

‘Tory bogeyman’

Mr ap Gwynfor, who represents Dwyfor Meirionnydd, claimed NRW and the Welsh Government see the visitor centres as liabilities rather than assets.

He told the Senedd: “They are part of our national wealth…. To justify closure of the centres, NRW and the government choose to hide behind criticism of the Conservative bogeyman, blaming austerity and rejecting any accountability for their own failures.”

Warning the visitor centres have been run down for years, Mr ap Gwynfor said Coed y Brenin was among the best mountain biking centres in Europe when it opened.

He said the trails have seen less and less investment since NRW was formed in a 2013 merger of Wales’ Countryside Council, Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.

Mr ap Gwynfor stressed the economic value of the visitor centres to the region, which he suggested has not received a fair share of spending from the Welsh nor UK Governments.

‘Not bothered’

Janet Finch-Saunders described a decision to reduce services as deeply worrying – with NRW seeking to make £12m in cuts, including £11m by April.

The Tory warned NRW is under-resourced and understaffed, with the arm’s-length body struggling to fill vacant posts and the loss of more than 200 jobs hardly helping.

Ms Finch-Saunders criticised NRW representatives for “not being bothered” to attend a Senedd climate change committee scrutiny session in person.

Labour’s Jenny Rathbone told the chamber NRW has been inadequately funded for the huge task asked of it due to 14 years of austerity under a Conservative UK Government.

She said: “I think NRW does a fantastic job overall, with a huge level of responsibilities as the regulator and enforcer of our land, rivers and seas in the face of both the climate and nature emergency. And I think it’s an entirely sensible decision to only do what they can do.”

‘Hard reality’

Huw Irranca-Davies, Wales’ climate change secretary, stressed that no public body has been immune to the impacts of the economic challenges the UK has faced in recent years.

“It is the inconvenient truth that some choose to ignore,” said Mr Irranca-Davies. “But it is the hard reality that Jenny rightly highlighted. This has meant that there have been very tough and real decisions NRW has had to make.”

Accepting services could be impacted, he said NRW’s “taxing” proposals were introduced to reshape the organisation and address a substantial funding gap for the coming year.

He said current retail and catering functions have been extended to March 31 after which interim arrangements will remain in place until alternative providers are appointed.

Following the debate on January 22, the Senedd voted 24-22 against the motion, with the Welsh Government’s amended version agreed by the same margin.