Concerns over future of Bwlch Nant yr Arian

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00:00Red kites are fed daily at Nanteraryan. The spectacle attracts many people to a

00:04place which also has outdoor play areas, walking and mountain bike trails. The

00:09indoor visitor centre with its shop, cafe and toilets is also part of the

00:13attraction but there's uncertainty about the future of this one and two others.

00:17Summit Cycles was involved very closely with the building. Summit Cycles built trails at

00:22two of the sites. NRW says the walking and bike trails will stay but the

00:27company is worried that the sites could attract fewer people if there are

00:30changes. We're sure that there will be a number of dedicated mountain bikers

00:35who will continue to use the trails at these centres but for many people the

00:39visitor centres help to facilitate access to the outdoors and they

00:44give a quality to people to be able to enjoy the outdoors for the benefit of

00:49their health and well-being. NRW is aiming to make savings of 13 million

00:53pounds with a loss of 265 jobs. It's reviewing what it does. Tackling the

00:59climate emergency and pollution are priorities so it's proposing no longer

01:04running cafes and shops at the visitor centres, two of which are in Ceredigion.

01:09The local MS says NRW should either continue to support them or pass them on

01:14quickly. The visitor centre here in Nanteraryan, all three of them, are really

01:18important centres both for people in the locality but also for visitors to the

01:23area. Invest in its future NRW or transfer it as a full asset to somebody

01:29with experience who can run it as a full centre and see the potential. I know that

01:33there are interested parties out there but we need to move quickly. The future

01:37use of visitor centres at Coed y Brenin, an iconic place for mountain bikers, and

01:42Ynys Las with its walks along the Dyfi estuary are also uncertain. The mountain

01:47biking sector is calling on Welsh Government to intervene while supporters

01:51of Ynys Las say the visitor centre and its staff are vital. It really draws

01:56visitors in from from the Midlands in England as well as all around the area

02:02in Wales. The visitor centre is at the heart of the site so it's not a

02:06quanterum, it is an educational visitor centre. 13,000 people signed a petition

02:12in support of the centres. Today the Senedd's petitions committee said it

02:16will write to NRW and ask for a debate on the issue. NRW's board will meet next

02:22month to approve final plans which could determine the future of the popular

02:27centres.