Financial support for botanic garden to be reduced

Carmarthenshire council wants the garden to reflect a "bilingual county"

Funding the National Botanic Garden of Wales receives from Carmarthenshire council will be scaled down.

The council said funding would reduce from £70,000 this year to £50,000 next year and £30,000 in 2017-18.

The funding will be dependent on the garden improving its Welsh language usage and becoming more sustainable.

The garden said it was pleased the council had agreed to continue its support.

The council's executive board agreed in principle to a £50,000 grant for a regency landscape project - if a £6.7m heritage lottery bid is successful.

It said it wants to meet with Welsh government officials to discuss the level of support it provides.

The garden could work with the Mentrau Iaith project to become bilingual and look at further commercial ventures to draw in more visitors, councillors added.

Council leader Emlyn Dole said it needed change, direction and marketing.

Dr Rosie Plummer, the garden's director, welcomed the funding pledge towards the regency restoration project.

"We are pleased to hear, too, that councillors have agreed to continue to recognise the important contribution the garden makes to the area and to continue to support it," she added.