THE FUTURE of several Mid Wales visitor centres ran by Natural Resources Wales have been cast into doubt after it was revealed that the environmental agency is planning on cutting over 200 jobs to make up for shortfalls in funding.
The environmental watchdog, which employs about 1800 staff, is looking to cut 265 jobs. With cuts aimed at areas including the maintaining and running of heritage features and visitor centres.
The agency is set to face a £13m funding gap for the upcoming financial year, which could rise to £17m if no action is taken.
NRW currently operate severely visitor centres within Mid Wales, including Ynylas and Bwlch Nant yr Arian which were set to potentially close this year.
The proposed job cuts now means that the futures of these sites remain in doubt.
Speaking about the potential impact that job cuts could have on local visitor centres, Mid and West Wales MS Jane Dodds described it as a “potentially crippling blow”.
Jane Dodds MS said that it was “deeply concerning to hear that NRW are planning on making these redundancies which could potentially be a crippling blow to the long-term future of visitor centres across Mid Wales.
As I understand there are already fears around what will happen to the Ynyslas and Bwlch Nant yr Arian visitor centres, and unfortunately this news could prove to be a devasting blow to the future of both sites.
The impact that any potential closures could have on the local tourism industry would be devasting and we must work at all costs to ensure that these centres are able to stay open.”
When asked for his views on the future of both the Ynyslas and Nant Yr Arian centres, former Ceredigion MP Mark Williams said that “local residents in Ceredigion are appalled at the prospect of losing these valued community assets, which draw so many tourists into our community.
They are valued showcases of the beauty of our area and are served by valued expert staff. Once again, we are faced with a scenario in which our valued silver is sold off!”
Local campaigner Sandra Jervis said that “These visitor centres, alongside so many other facilities, are what brings people to our beautiful area.
If we start closing down these centres, then not only would we be losing an integral avenue for revenue into the local economy, but we would also be losing somewhere where we can celebrate our area’s heritage.”
