Cuts to visitor centres 'endanger wildlife' - protesters

About 60 people can be seen walking with the backs to the camera along a path through the sand dunes at Ynyslas. Many of them are wearing red coats and jackets and can be seen holding red triangle flags above their head. The wooden visitor centre can be seen in the background among the grass. The sky is grey. Chris Heron

NRW cut retail and catering facilities at three visitor centres sites on Monday

Craig Duggan
BBC News

More than 100 people gathered in protest against cuts to Natural Resources Wales visitor sites.

Ynyslas Nature Reserve, near Borth, Ceridigion, is one of three ceasing to operate its cafes and shops from Monday - along with Bwlch Nant yr Arian near Ceredigion and Coed y Brenin in Dolgellau.

Dressed in red, campaigners at Ynylas marked the rally a "red alert event" on Saturday, saying the decision to remove staff from the site will "endanger wildlife and the public".

NRW said the cuts are part of a wider restructure of the organisation which aims to save £12m and said work to protect wildlife "will continue to be overseen by land management staff".

NRW added that the walking paths, mountain biking trails and other facilities at the three sites will stay open.

A large red flag reading "RIP" with three crosses below it can be seen attached to the wooden visitor centre building. A woman wearing a red fur jacket can be seen using her right arm lifted above her head to secure the flag. A natural resources wales sign can be seen on the right hand side of the picture.

The protestors at Ynyslas – mostly dressed in red - attached a banner to the visitor centre with RIP painted on it

Helen Heron, 56, from Borth, had her last day working at Ynyslas on Sunday.

She said about 250,000 people visit the centre each year, and it also hosts wellbeing groups and groups for pensioners, but now she says "all that is being denied to people".

"It will have a devastating effect on Borth," said Ms Heron.

Ms Heron was taken on as one of four seasonal workers from April 2024 to September 2024 and says she and her fellow seasonal workers did a lot more than retail and catering work at the site.

"Only 5% of our job is retail and catering," she said.

Ms Heron said their work included ensuring visitors remain safe while on site, with the beach and the estuary having red flag status, and they also protected wildlife such as the Ring Plover.

About 60 people can be seen gathered on a beach. Many of them are wearing red coats and jackets and can be seen holding red triangle flags above their head. Other large square red flags can be seen reading: Save our centre. Houses can be seen on land in the far distance. Chris Heron

Campaigners say they are worried about the dangers of the red site not being monitored by a member of staff

Ms Heron said the site employed two permanent employees and a centre manager, and says those employees don't have clarity on their job security.

"I'm speaking up for the full time staff because they can't at the moment," she said.

"I'm lucky. I don't rely on that work to pay the mortgage or rent but the permanent staff do. The permanent staff still don't know if they are going to be redeployed or made redundant.

"I think the way NRW has treated staff is appalling and what worries me most is that we don't know if it will be long before a serious incident happens at the beach. There's no phone signal at the beach. The only way to raise alarm is to go to the visitor centre."

Ms Heron says staff at Ynyslas were on garden leave until the end of next week and were waiting to hear about their jobs.

She said staff played an important role in terms of public safety, since the site is a red flag beach and a site where World War Two ordnance regularly washes up on the beach.

"Staff have radios and there is no mobile signal on the beach so anyone finding themselves in danger would have difficulty raising the alarm," she said.

Roger Fuller, another former seasonal worker at Ynyslas, said warning signs about ordnance and the red flag were small and faded and not easy for people to see.

Mr Fuller, who worked there from February to September 2024, said he and the campaign group had been fighting to save the centre since December 2023.

"It's not just a job - they give their hearts to it," he said.

About 60 people can be seen stood gathered outside the visitor centre. Many of them are wearing red coats and jackets and can be seen holding red triangle flags above their head. Other large square red flags can be seen reading: Save our centre. A large read flag reading: RIP with three white crosses can be seen on the side of the centre building.

Plaid councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths has called upon the Senedd to save all three centres

Elsie Grace, NRW's head of sustainable commercial development, said: "We understand how important our sites are to local communities and visitors.

"We are now firmly focused on the process to find partners to register an interest in providing services at Bwlch Nant yr Arian and Coed y Brenin.

"We are currently finalising how and when we will go to market for these opportunities and we hope to communicate more information soon."

But regular users of the visitor centres say closing the cafes and shops will have a far-reaching effect.

Plaid Cymru councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths – who represents the ward where Coed y Brenin is located - said it will be "really, really devastating" for staff and visitors.

She added: "We are asking the Senedd now to come in at this very last moment and stop this devastation of resources in our area, and in the other centres, Nant yr Arian and Ynyslas as well."

Additional reporting by Angela Ferguson.

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