The actions, attitude and assumptions made by Natural Resources Wales over the past six months have been reprehensible and repugnant, undermining the Welsh Government agency's mandate, flying in the face of its legal obligations and laughing at the people of the nation when it comes to its mismanagement of its three visitor centres.

And now, months after closing the centres and weeks after being told by the Senedd that it must come up with a plan for the future of the centres, the senior management at the agency have had a collective thought, hoping to lease out at least two of the three centres in the coming months.

The agency said this week it hopes to award contracts for Bwlch Nant yr Arian and Coed y Brenin by April next year.

The two popular visitor centres were closed by Natural Resources Wales in March this year as the government body looked to cut costs. NRW said it is launching a ‘marketing exercise’ for Bwlch Nant yr Arian and Coed y Brenin in November.

NRW said: “This process will look for viable partners, community groups and businesses, who can enhance the sites for visitor and recreation purposes.

“Following a period of preparation work, legal checks, internal governance and subject to final approval, it is hoped the process can be launched in November with the aim of awarding contracts by the end of April 2026.

In the meantime all paths, trails, car park, play area and toilet facilities remain open and the important work undertaken to protect wildlife and maintain these sites continues to be overseen by land management staff. NRW has previously said it hopes to find a community solution for Ynyslas.

Caru Coed y Brenin and the charitable trust behind Aberystwyth’s Cliff Railway have previously stated their intention at running the Ganllwyd and Ponterwyd sites respectively.

A temporary summer-long provision of a hospitality van and mobile toilets are in place in Nant yr Arian, with parking and toilets available at Ynyslas.

All this shows is that the bosses at NRW just don’t get it. The agency has a legal obligation to protect the environment. Anything other than direct management and a return to the previous arrangement is unacceptable.