Staff warned of redundancies as all three NRW visitor centres set to close

Emily Price

All three Natural Resources Wales visitor centres are set to close with staff told to prepare for redundancies as the Welsh Government sponsored body looks to plug a £13 million budget gap.

Staff at sites in Bwlch Nant yr Arian near Aberystwyth, Ynyslas and Coed y Brenin near Dolgellau received an email no Wednesday (July 31) informing them there will no longer be any retail and catering provision at the visitor centres.

Money saving plans will see the sites close short-term while NRW looks for interested parties to take over as long-term partners.

In total 265 jobs are being put at risk with an internal consultation running for 45 days with staff and Trade Unions.

There there will not be any public consultation and final decisions on structural changes will be taken by the Board in late September.

Job losses

NRW says there are around 200 vacancies and new posts currently available in areas of the organisation which have ringfenced funding, such as peatland restoration and supporting the work of Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru.

The three centres offer outdoor activities for families such as mountain biking, orienteering courses as well as geocaching trails, cafes, picnic areas and parks.

The Coed y Brenin site is in the constituency of Plaid Cymru’s Westminster Leader, Liz Saville Roberts and MS for Dwyfor Meirionnydd Mabon ap Gwynfor.

In February, the Head of Sustainable Commercial Development for NRW said there were no plans to close Coed y Brenin visitor centre and that private companies or community led organisations would probably need to be sought to take over the running of the café and the building.

The Plaid Cymru politicians said they were under the impression that any changes at the site wouldn’t happen for another two years.

Mabon ap Gwynfor said: ”I am very disappointed to learn today that Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are moving ahead at pace with alternative proposals for the future of their centre at Coed y Brenin in my constituency.

“When this matter was first brought to the attention of myself, Liz Saville Roberts MP, and local Councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths earlier this year, I was under the impression that nothing would happen for the next two years, and that sufficient time would be given to find alternative partners to deliver future provision at the site.

“The fact that NRW are now consulting with the unions on potential redundancies at Coed y Brenin is extremely worrying. This will cause a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty to catering and retail staff currently employed at the centre.

“Although the trails, car parks and toilets remain open at Coed y Brenin, the long-term future of this fantastic recreational resource remains in doubt.”

Future

Mr ap Gwynfor will meet with NRW at Coed y Brenin this Friday (August 2) alongside local County Councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths and members of Caru Coed y Brenin who have been campaigning to secure the future of the centre.

He said: “I repeat my earlier call that NRW must be prepared to work openly and creatively with local communities to ensure these valued resources continue to serve local people and the Meirionnydd visitor economy alike.

“We really shouldn’t be in this position where the future of Coed y Brenin is now being discussed. Coed y Brenin is a fantastic brand which the Welsh Government would do well to harness, invest in and build upon.

“I will be seeking firm assurances from NRW regarding the consultation process. Any community group or party with interest in the site should be afforded sufficient time to develop a working business plan and this is something I will be raising as a priority with NRW.”

Financial means

Clare Pillman, chief executive of NRW said the body must adapt to live within its financial means.

She said: “Public funding is exceptionally tight across the whole of the UK. As such, we are having to look across all of our remit and critically review what we can and must continue to do, what we stop, and what we slow or do differently to fulfil our Corporate Plan ambitions. This is no different to any other public sector body at the moment.

“Yesterday (31 July) we launched a consultation with staff on our proposals for changes in our staffing structure. The aim is to mitigate job losses as much as possible.

“Some of these changes, if implemented, will impact our partners, customers, and stakeholders. Following our consultation, the NRW Board will make a final decision on changes and at that point we will explain what the changes mean in the delivery of services.

“There will not be a public consultation on our proposals.  In 2022-23 we held a public consultation on our new Corporate Plan, Nature and People Thriving Together, which sets our strategic direction and priorities through to 2030.

“This consultation with the Trade Unions is about how we ensure a focus on those Corporate Plan priorities whilst adapting to live within our financial means. This is a challenging time for everyone working at NRW and we ask that the public support our people as they go through this consultation.”