We went to the horse’s (sorry Ed) mouth to find out what is happening on the ground following the news of sweeping NRW cuts.
There’s been a lot in the news recently about NRW cuts affecting places like Coed y Brenin, but what’s the reality on the ground? We had a chat with Ed Roberts who is training partner to the on-site bike shop, Beics Brenin.
Photos by Tom Laws.
Coed Y Brenin opened in 1996, setting the template for MTB trails centres across the UK. NRW cuts announced recently have put the state of Coed Y Brenin’s trails, as well as Bwlch Nant Yr Arian’s and the centre at Ynyslas under threat.
There has been plenty of speculation about what is actually closing, perhaps in part due to mixed signals from NRW themselves. The future of these sites is still unclear, but there is, certainly in the case of Coed Y Brenin, strong community interest in taking over the visitor centre to provide a shop and cafe in the current premises.
Over to you Ed…
Natural Resources Wales has decided to end catering and retail operations at its visitor centres at Coed y Brenin.
We have no information about how soon the visitor centre will close at this time but we are obviously very disappointed about the decision.
What we do know is Beics Brenin will continue to operate from Coed y Brenin along with ourselves, Pedal MTB. At the present time we believe that there is budget to continue the maintenance and repair of the existing network (which is contrary to lots of the information that is getting thrown around at the moment).
NRW has stated that it will hold a series of public meetings connected with each visitor centre to explain what this decision will mean and engage with members of public over what will happen next.
While the team at Pedal MTB and Beics Brenin are extremely saddened by NRW’s decision we are preparing to steer a course through the coming changes towards a brighter future for Coed y Brenin. NRW has stated that it will now begin the process of seeking alternative provision for service delivery at the site and will begin to engage with stakeholders and others who are interested very soon.
“We are not done with Coed Y Brenin and although it currently looks like an uphill struggle, we know that if the mountain bike community still believes in Coed Y Brenin then we still have a chance. Coed Y Brenin was a brave new idea when it was conceived years ago and we hope that if we are allowed, we can help bring Coed Y Brenin through this turbulent time and return it to the world-leading centre that it started as.”
“We are one of the largest guide and coach training centres in the UK, delivering the full spectrum of British Cycling education courses. We also deliver a huge amount of group and private coaching courses as well as our ever-popular kids camps. After a dip in visitor numbers after the post COVID boom we are actually seeing a steady growth in customers.”
Coed Y Brenin appears to be more popular than ever, with a mix of easily accessible trails for all levels of riders, all contained in a truly beautiful forest. We just want people to know that we are still here, the trails are still great, the welcome will still be warm, but for the time being, you might just have to bring your own sandwiches .” Ed Roberts Pedal MTB
“It’s been a nightmare year for Coed y Brenin’s public image, many people think the centre is already closed and we regularly get comments about the condition of the trails. It’s really hard to come with a positive message to visitors against a continuous stream of bad news and speculation around closure. Still, this is nothing compared to the impact that visitor centre closure is going to have.”
“All that we have been told at this stage is that NRW took the decision to cease catering and retail from the sites. We have been given no information about how soon we can expect to see the visitor centre wound down or what will come next” added Toby Bragg, marketing manager of Beics Brenin.
So how can you get involved?
The Caru Coed y Brenin Tea & Chat is on Sunday 24th November at Ganllwyd Hall. Full information can be found on the Caru Coed Y Brenin website here.
NRW have organised a number of public consultations. This is where you can be involved in the conversation about the future of not just Coed Y Brenin, but the other other affected sites. The NRW social media post goes as follows:
“We are holding three public meetings to update communities on the future of Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Ynyslas and Coed y Brenin visitor centres. Following a decision by our board earlier in November, we will no longer run catering and retail operations at these sites. All our paths, trails, car park, play area and toilet facilities will remain open.
We are now actively engaging with local businesses and community groups to seek partners to run the catering and retail services.
The meetings will be held at:
- Borth Community Hall, High Street, Borth, SY24 5LH November 25 starting at 7pm. (Ynyslas)
- Neuadd Penllwyn Capel Bangor, Aberystwyth, SY23 3LS, November 26 starting at 6.30 pm. (Bwlch Nant yr Arian)
- Ganllwyd Village Hall, Llanfar, Y Lli, Ganllwyd, LL40 2TF, November 27 starting at 6.30pm. (Coed y Brenin)
No booking is necessary but please be aware venues may reach capacity. Further details of the format of the meetings will be issued soon.”
