Natural Resources Wales has a £13 million hole to plug in its budget, with 265 jobs potentially on the line, and this could lead to the closure of the visitor centre at the birthplace of mountain biking in the UK.
National Resources Wales (NRW), which owns and runs several mountain biking hotspots in Wales sent its staff an email last week detailing the need to reduce the staff budget by £13 million by April 2025. This unfortunately includes staff at the Coed y Brenin, Ynyslas and Bwlch Nant visitor centres.
Coed y Brenin is home to the classic MBR trail among others.
There is a 45 day consultation between staff and unions underway, with the NRW aiming to reduce redundancies. If they are unable to do so, however, there are 265 posts at risk (including 108 vacant posts). According to Bike Perfect, NRW has not confirmed closure dates for the visitor centres, but without staff they could close as early as September.
While devastating news for Welsh mountain biking, it’s not a new threat. We reported back in January that the NRW was looking at closing the three visitor centres, but it seems like the previous consultation that was due to publish findings in March hasn’t provided the clarity staff were hoping for.
Coed y Brenin’s flowy and natural trails are a staple of Welsh mountain biking
The organisation said in its email: “The purpose is to refocus resources on the activities that will have the most impact on nature, climate, and minimising pollution, as well as the statutory work that only NRW can do. The aim is to mitigate job losses as much as possible. Some of these changes, if implemented, will impact our partners, customers, and stakeholders.”
Coed-ucation: old-school trails have taught a generation how to ride
Robin Grant, the Chair of the UK MTB Trail Alliance commented on the announcement: “This announcement does not bode well for the future of mountain biking in Wales, but it’s a future we need to face up to and deal with as best we can. We need to be in a position to convince the Welsh Government that the mountain bike community can be a trusted partner. One that can help relieve some of the budgetary pressure by taking on responsibility for looking after their local trails. But also to help them understand that this can only happen if they cut back on the red tape that is currently blocking it.”
While the visitors centres may close at these trail centres, the trails themselves and local facilities will remain open – they just may not be maintained.