Update on Natural Resources Wales' visitor centres
Overview
Read this page in Welsh / Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Retail and catering provision at three visitor centres managed by Natural Resources Wales will remain open until March 31, 2025, and will then close.
After closure we will launch a public exercise to look for partners who may be interested in helping to run these services at Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Ynyslas and Coed y Brenin in the future.
All paths, trails, car park, play area and toilet facilities will remain open at the sites and we held public meetings to update communities on November 25, 26 and 27.
Elsie Grace, NRW’s Head of Sustainable Commercial Development, said: “We understand how important our sites are to local communities and visitors and we know the decision to stop providing catering and retail services is disappointing to many people.
“Our board made the decision in response to the extremely tight funding situation we and other public bodies face.
“We will look for partners, both community groups and businesses, to register an interest in providing these services moving forward and will provide more information on how to submit expressions of interest ahead of the launch of any tender exercise.
“In the meantime, all our paths, trails, car park, play area and toilet facilities will remain open and we will continue to maintain our sites to ensure public access continues.
“I would also like to thank our staff for their hard work and dedication at this time.
“We look forward to welcoming members of the public and stakeholders to our upcoming meetings so we can provide more information.”
NRW is a public sector organisation and has strict procurement regulations and processes that must be followed.
To ensure fairness and parity, no proposals will be considered in advance of the start of any public tender and we will provide more details of this process, including the start date, in due course.
In due course we will use the Sell2Wales website and those interested can register on the platform in advance of any process starting.
The public meetings were 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, Llafar Y Lli, Ganllwyd, LL40 2TF, November 27 starting at 6.30pm.
Update
We would like to thank everyone who was able to attend the public meetings regarding the future of our visitor centres.
We would also like to thank those who have been in touch with additional questions and requests for further meetings, we are grateful for your interest and passion with regards to these sites and we are considering all the feedback which has been very useful.
We are finalising the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as well as summarising information given for each of the three sites and we will publish them here shortly. The FAQs will continue to be updated as further questions are asked and as the timeline progresses.
We are also arranging drop-in sessions for smaller groups or those interested in being part of the future of the sites and we will publish the dates here as soon as confirmed.
Drop in sessions
Drop-in sessions are being held to give members of the community the latest information on the future of Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Ynyslas and Coed y Brenin visitor centres.
This is part of our ongoing engagement with communities and staff will be on hand to talk about the sites and answer any questions.
To attend you can book a slot by emailing ymgysylltu.masnachol@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk with the event and time you would like to attend.
The drop-in sessions will take place on:
Wednesday, January 8 between 10am and 3pm at Welsh Government offices, Rhodfa Padarn, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth, SY23 3UR.
Monday, January 13 between 10am and 3pm at Coed Y Brenin Visitor Centre, Dolgefeiliau, Dolgellau LL40 2HZ.
Monday, January 20 between 10am and 3pm at Welsh Government offices, Rhodfa Padarn, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth, SY23 3UR.
Friday, January 24 between 10am and 3pm at Coed Y Brenin Visitor Centre, Dolgefeiliau, Dolgellau LL40 2HZ.
Expressions of Interest
You can take part in the expression of interest process for the community use of Ynyslas Visitor Centre by reading and completing the form at the bottom of this page and returning it along with any supporting documentation to ymgysylltu.masnachol@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk by January 10, 2025.
Sell2Wales
The Sell2Wales website is an information source and procurement portal set up by the Welsh Government to help:
- businesses win contracts with the public sector across Wales
- public sector buyers to advertise and manage tender opportunities
- businesses promote their services
- businesses find contract opportunities
You can find out more at Sell2Wales: Welcome to Sell2Wales
Submit a question
If you would like to submit a question ahead of the meetings you can do so at ymgysylltu.masnachol@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
Areas
- All Areas
Audiences
- Fly-fishing
- Cockles
- Newport Green and Safe Spaces
- Rivers
- Flooding
- Llifogydd
- Community Volunteers
- Gwirfoddolwyr Cymunedol
- Management
- Woodland Opportunity Map users
- marine developers
- marine planners
- Network Completion Project Task and Finish Group
- South West Stakeholder group
- Citizens
- National Access Forum
- Gwent
- citizens
- water companies
- NFU
- DCWW
- Anglers
- Coal Authority
- River restoration
- Adfer afonydd
- Educators
- SoNaRR2020
- Designated Landscapes
- Tirweddau dynonedig
- Mine recovery specialists
- Arbenigwyr adfer mwyngloddiau
- Metal mines
- Mwyngloddiau metel
- Coastal Group Members
- Wales Biodiversity Partnership
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- EPR and COMAH facilities
Interests
- National Access Forum
Share
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook