Gilestone Farm: Minister denies wasting money in osprey farm row
- Published
The discovery of ospreys at Gilestone Farm has rendered Green Man's plans for the site unfeasible
A Welsh government minister has denied wasting money over the ill-fated £4.25m Gilestone Farm project.
The discovery of two nesting ospreys has forced government officials to abandon the plans to help Green Man.
A Welsh Conservative Senedd member said there was "a bit of I told you so" about what happened at the Talybont-on-Usk site.
But Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said farmers were continuing to use the location.
The session in the Senedd sparked a row after Mr Gething accused Mr Evans of making statements that were wrong about what the minister had said.
Mr Gething told Mr Evans, MS for Brecon and Radnorshire: "He should understand that I will not forget the way he has conducted himself."
Mr Evans said the ministers' comments were uncalled for and deplorable.
The economy minister denied wasting public money on the Powys farm scheme, aimed at helping Green Man festival expand.
The discovery of a nest last summer has meant an exclusion zone of 750m is required where little human activity can take place.
The Usk Valley Conservation Group had told a Senedd committee in October 2022 that ospreys were "frequently recorded using the farm and feeding in the river".
In the Welsh Parliament Mr Evans said: "I hate to say there's a bit of I told you so about all this.
"A lot of people in my community are very angry about the situation that we find ourselves in."
The Conservative MS said concerns raised in the community about biodiversity and species on the site were ignored.
Mr Evans said a "basic desktop exercise would have told Welsh government officials all they need to know".
He claimed that land agents locally said the site "is worth considerably less now than what the Welsh government paid for it".
'The site is in use'
In response the economy minister said: "Public money hasn't been wasted. We acquired an asset at slightly under market value.
"We have a commercial farm business tendency on the site - the site is in use."
He said it was right for the government to support businesses like Green Man to grow.
The minister said that much of the anger around the scheme was "turned to abuse" which had led to "some people to take a pause from their life in public service".
He added: "I have seen correspondence from the member's constituents claiming that I've made statements that I have not, that have come from him.
"I have had a conversation with him outside this chamber. His conduct is a matter for him. But he should understand that I will not forget the way he has conducted himself and I hope for better from him in the future."
He later said he was "not afraid to be robust where there is disagreement or conduct that I do not think should be allowed to pass without comment".
Mr Gething said it was a "success story" that the ospreys had been seen nesting for the first time in more than 200 years "so far south".
Asked to clarify what conduct Mr Gething was referring to, the Welsh government said the exchange related to a public meeting held in Talybont in June 2023, and whether the Welsh government was due to attend or not.
Mark Drakeford had said the government would not be attending when the matter was raised in First Minister's Questions in the Senedd.
'Deplorable'
In a statement released later, Mr Evans said: "The minister's attitude in the chamber today was frankly deplorable and uncalled for.
"If he can't handle reasonable scrutiny from a constituency member on a local issue, then how can he possibly handle the heat of being first minister. Yet again it shows that he is not fit for the job."
The topical question session in the Senedd was triggered by Labour backbencher Joyce Watson, who said she was "delighted about the ospreys".
'Mired in controversy'
Plaid Cymru's Cefin Campbell said he welcomed the "historic discovery of the ospreys", but he said the farm was "mired in controversy".
He said it had been the subject of major planning rows, judicial reviews, appeal court action, planning inquiries with the previous owners "forced to leave the farm".
Mr Gething said there had been an "outline business case about the proposals from Green Man".
He said Audit Wales "had been through this and there's been no criticism of the propriety of the asset".
Audit Wales had found that Welsh ministers acted "with avoidable haste" in buying the farm in 2022.
Ministers said at the time the report made clear the acquisition followed "appropriate processes" and was "value for money".
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