NRW PUBLIC MEETINGS
NRW PUBLIC MEETING DATES
Following the statement made by NRW on 6th November that their board have taken the decision to no longer offer catering and retail at their visitor centres, a further update has now been issued on NRW's social media, confirming that a series of public meetings will be held to update the communities associated with each centre.
A post on Facebook stated the following:
"Following a decision by our board we will no longer run catering and retail operations at our visitor centres.
We know that this will be disappointing to many people.
All our paths, trails, car park, play area and toilet facilities will remain open.
The decision was made in response to the extremely tight funding situation we and other public bodies face.
Our priority now is to support those affected during this difficult transition period.
We are holding public meetings to explore how the facilities can be best used in the future."
The post went on to provide the following information about the events...
"We are holding three public meetings to update communities on the future of Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Ynyslas and Coed y Brenin visitor centres.
Following a decision by our board earlier in November, we will no longer run catering and retail operations at these sites.
All our paths, trails, car park, play area and toilet facilities will remain open.
We are now actively engaging with local businesses and community groups to seek partners to run the catering and retail services.
The meetings will be held at:
Borth Community Hall, High Street, Borth, SY24 5LH, November 25 starting at 7pm.
Neuadd Penllwyn Capel Bangor, Aberystwyth, SY23 3LS, November 26 starting at 6.30 pm.
Ganllwyd Village Hall, Llanfar, Y Lli, Ganllwyd, LL40 2TF, November 27 starting at 6.30pm.
No booking is necessary but please be aware venues may reach capacity.
Further details of the format of the meetings will be issued soon."
- Natural Resources Wales
Please do your best to attend the meetings
We are sure there will be a good turn out from the communities who use these centres and value the role they play as part of our outdoor and local communities. We know that many of you will want to take this opportunity to share your views on the closure and learn more about what is planned to come next for the centres.
At this time, we have been given no further information about the future of the centres or if there is a timetable in place for their winding down. We have been behind every call for NRW to seek a continuity solution that would keep the centres open until new management can be found but so far, NRW have provided no information about their intentions over what will come next.
Our fear has always been that any withdrawal from visitor centres could become permanent if a new management solution proves difficult to find. This could in turn lead to the centre buildings falling into disrepair and declines, and in the absence of these outdoor hubs, the trails themselves may also come under threat should funding cuts continue and visitor numbers fall.
For this reason we encourage anyone who is able to attend the public meetings and be vocal in your support for keeping our visitor centres open until new management can be found to ensure they continue their role in helping people access the outdoors and in supporting the trail networks that benefit our health and wellbeing and bring vitality of our local communities.
WE STAY OPEN @ BEICS BRENIN
Please don't forget that even if NRW do close the doors on the visitor centre at Coed y Brenin, Beics Brenin and its training partners Pedal MTB remain very much open for business. Right now the cafe and visitor centre at Coed y Brenin is still open as normal and nothing has changed yet. We will of course update with more information as soon as we know more of NRWs plans but for now we encourage everyone to continue to support our visitor centres, visit and ride as normal.
Likewise, our training partners Pedal MTB will continue to operate and offer a range of training, courses and guiding from Coed y Brenin.
