Update for visitors to Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Ynyslas and Coed y Brenin

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is providing an update to the public ahead of retail and catering provision ceasing to operate at its three visitor centres on March 31.

All paths, trails, car park, play area and toilet facilities at Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Ynyslas and Coed y Brenin will remain open.

We would like to reassure the public that the important work undertaken to protect wildlife and maintain these sites will continue to be overseen by our land management staff.

Elsie Grace, NRW’s Head of Sustainable Commercial Development, said:

“We understand how important our sites are to local communities and visitors and I would like to thank everyone who has shown an interest and shared correspondence with us about this issue. 

“We want to reiterate and reassure the public that all paths, trails, car park, play area and toilet facilities will remain open and the management of the sites will remain with our land management staff as it is currently.

“We are now firmly focused on the process to find partners to register an interest in providing services at Bwlch Nant yr Arian and Coed y Brenin.

“We are currently finalising how and when we will go to market for these opportunities and we hope to communicate more information soon.

“We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we know you are keen to know what is coming next, but we want to make sure we get it right to avoid confusion and any potential issues in the future.

“It is important to take the necessary time now for a smooth process later.

“We would again like to thank everyone for their interest and passion with regards to our sites as we move ahead with the next phase of the process.”

Ynyslas will not be offered for commercial use and NRW will be looking at community uses for the site. This process is ongoing.

As with all of the land we manage, members of the public are responsible for their own safety and that of any children and animals with them during their visit, with signage in place to alert of any dangers. 

It is also important to remind visitors that their litter or waste is their responsibility, and we urge the public to follow the guidelines set out in the Countryside Code and to leave no trace of their visits. 

We will manage pollution and antisocial behaviour, including fly-tipping, through a variety of means including site monitoring, CCTV and reporting by the public to our 24-hour incident line 03000 65 3000 or via Natural Resources Wales / Report an incident

For more information on visiting our sites you can visit our dedicated webpages by searching for Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Ynyslas or Coed y Brenin online.

You can find out more information including responses to a number of questions about the sites on our Citizen Space consultation hub.