A community group is planning an injunction against Natural Resources Wales (NRW) ahead of three visitor centre closures.

Save Our Ynyslas Visitors Centre group is seeking a potential injunction to stop the closure of their centre, set to close on 31 March.

The group accuse NRW and Ceredigion Public Service Board of failing to consider the Wellbeing and Future Generations Act 2015, requiring public bodies to assess the long-term impact of their decisions.

A spokesperson from the group said: “We cannot find any evidence that the Future Generations Act has been considered in their decision-making process, or that due process was followed.

“We do not want to do this, as it would scrutinize the performance of the Public Service Board and the commissioner's office, potentially to a full judicial review.

“We are also concerned that the impact assessment from NRW requested by the government petition was not carried out.

“The brilliant facility at Ynyslas embodies everything good about Wales for future generations, especially children from poorer backgrounds with little access to wild Welsh nature.

“We want to keep the centre open, preferably with the existing staff.”

NRW states the decision to close the centres and their food, beverage and shop facilities was “consistent with obligations under the Act and will contribute to allowing NRW to continue its leadership role in protecting Wales' natural resources and driving positive change for future generations”.

An NRW spokesperson added that changes to the centres have been “kept to a minimum”.

NRW state that the Welsh Government petitions committee didn’t request an impact assessment.

They also admitted that an Economic Impact Assessment was not done, but an Equalities Impact Assessment was done and published with their proposals, including recommendations which will be implemented.

Toby Bragg, part of the campaign group against Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre’s closure, criticised this: “NRW may save the money they have to save without looking at the financial loss it would make to the wider economy, which is utter madness.”

The Ynyslas Centre is one of three closures announced by NRW to help address the organization's £12m budget deficit.

Bwlch Nant Yr Arian Forest Centre, famous for red kite feeding east of Aberystwyth, and Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre and mountain bike park near Dolgellau will also be closing on 31 March, though NRW states all the trails, car parks and toilets will still be open to the public.

Further alarm has been raised by residents as ringed plovers returned to Ynyslas this month.

Ringed plovers are on the red list for conservation, their UK numbers declining by over 50 per cent in recent years.

NRW has yet to share plans on who and how the locally cherished species will be protected.

A spokesperson for the Ynyslas group said: “NRW are legally responsible for their protection but are blatantly washing their hands of them, along with the visitor safety which the wardens provide – this is absolutely criminal.”

NRW explained that it is the land management staff, not the visitor centre staff, who are responsible for protecting the wildlife and environment, adding: “Ynyslas is unique as it forms part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve (NNR).

“As such, Ynyslas has specific statutory needs and requirements of which protecting the NNR is priority.

“This will include retaining an onsite office for land management staff.”

A NRW spokesperson said: “Whilst we’re looking at continuation of arrangements for managing Ynyslas National Nature Reserve to protect its designated features, we continue to review the most effective ways to achieve this across the sites we manage.”

It’s not only the safety of the ringed plovers that are in question – many are concerned about the lack of detail in the ‘bridging’ measures being introduced in April to support operations at the sites until longer-term private businesses are brought in.

NRW has so far advertised for a mobile refreshment unit and sought applications for managing the Ynyslas car park, however people who have expressed interest in taking on the running of some of the sites say they have been left in the dark.

Toby Bragg is the comms and events manager for Summit Cycles which runs the bike hire shop in Coed y Brenin.

He is part of community cooperative Caru Coed y Brenin which hopies to take over the running of the site.

Toby said: “It’s impossible to prepare a plan when you don’t know the scope the tender bid will be – is it to run the cafe, the whole centre, the centre and trails, or other features?”

Toby knows local businesses who have expressed interest in running a mobile catering unit at Coed y Brenin who also haven’t heard anything on this opportunity.

In the midst of this absence, the group, made up of locals, business owners, mountain bikers, trail runners and walkers, are trying to get funds together for a feasibility study for Coed y Brenin as a community run centre.

Lack of communication and clarity has been a consistent issue with stakeholders of three centres – Toby said Summit Cycles were “shocked” to find out about the proposed closures through a Cambrian News article, despite having a contract with NRW.

Another person interested in taking over the running of facilities is the boss behind Aberystwyth’s Cliff Railway, Alun Davies, who attended a public meeting to tell NRW just that.

Alun, who has run Cliff Railway for 20 years, wants to the Nant yr Arian site: “They haven’t told us what is happening.

“We’ve been in talks with them but they’re so vague in what they’re telling us that we don’t know where we stand.

“We’ve got support from councillors, the people who petitioned the Senedd, our Senedd Members and MPs.

“We think it’s wrong to see it close, it’s a shame.

“The plan would have been to employ the same staff.”

NRW aims to share more information about the opportunities in early April, adding: “We want to make sure we get it right to avoid confusion and future issues - we believe it is important to take the necessary time now for a smooth process later on.”

However all these complaints point to a bigger issue that there has not been enough communication from the beginning - Toby from Caru Coed y Brenin agrees: “In terms of outcomes we want to see the site do well regardless of who takes over the tender.

“There is a feeling that the people who really really matter, the ones impacted by this closure are the poeple who don’t have a role in the decision making.

“That is why were keen to have some kind of community involvement.”

Meanwhile, the groups campaigning against the closures expressed fear of one thing – that the closure would spell the beginning of the end for the sites as a whole.

Toby explained: “We’re fearful that they might pull the plug altogether.

“It could be the first step of the withdrawal of the facilities.

“Coed y Brenin was the first location in the world where modern trail development was pioneered – it carries a historical significance for mountain biking in the UK and beyond.

“It would be heartbreaking for us to lose it.”

The Future Generations Commissioner has been contacted for comment.