Welsh Government have today (29th January 2024) released a statement today on the future of Gilestone Farm. The discovery of a pair of nesting Ospreys on the site mean that their plans can "no longer be realised".
I believe the purchase of Gilestone Farm by Welsh Government should never have happened in the first place. Conservation concerns were raised early on in this process, as were concerns about the purchase of the farm itself and now the Welsh Labour Government finds itself holding an expensive asset for a purpose completely alien to their initial plan. The next time the Labour Government plans to get the cheque book out, they should listen to local concerns and conduct themselves with far greater transparency.
I would like to stress that ALL conversations I had on this topic, whether with elected officials, local groups or residents, or at the public meeting I convened - ALL discussions were respectful of the opposing viewpoint and I have not witnessed any of the alleged inappropriate behaviour mentioned in the Welsh Government statement. The lack of information and community consultation from Welsh Government was extremely frustrating and I hope lessons will be learnt for any future developments that Welsh Government may wish to undertake.
