ENVIRONMENT bosses are considering installing parking cameras on a popular beach once the visitor centre closes its doors in March.

Bosses from Natural Resources Wales met with concerned residents in Borth on Monday evening after announcing that the Ynyslas visitor centre is to close on 31 March next year.

Around 75 people attended the meeting on Monday evening to voice their concerns.

A frustrated Polly Ernest, who has been campaigning to keep the visitor centre open for the past 12 months, said: “NRW’s plan is to replace Ynyslas staff with specialist contractors and hope community volunteers pick up the slack.

“They admitted that no impact assessments had been done on the effects of the Case for Change on the local or wider community or environment.

“The scope of the work had only been to save the organisation the £12-£13 million unexpected deficit.

“They seemed to blame the losses on two successive pay rises imposed on them.

“Sarah Jennings repeatedly said that Governments were not good at running things like retail and visitor centres and it needed private / third sector involvement.

“They have no clear plans going forward for Ynyslas and hope the community is going to ‘step up and save the place’.

“There are no figures, no business plan.

“They said NRW would be keeping parking revenues as an estate wide parking system - sub-contracting it to a parking company using number plate recognition cameras - was being introduced.

“Then they said they were open to discussion on this.

“They were unable to say what proportion of Ynyslas’ operating losses were due to NRW management charges.

“They had no idea what the figure was, just that the site is forecast to make £67k loss this year. They were unable to explain how building costs would be saved if the building was still used as offices. They promised to provide a breakdown of figures.”

NRW will meet with residents in Capel Bangor on Tuesday night to discuss the future of Bwlch Nant yr Arian at Neuadd Penllwyn from 6.30pm.

A meeting on the future of Coed y Brenin will be held at Neuadd y Ganllwyd on Wednesday from 6.30pm.

NRW announced last week: “Retail and catering provision at three visitor centres managed by Natural Resources Wales will remain open until 31 March, 2025, and will then close.

"After closure we will launch a public exercise to look for partners who may be interested in helping to run these services at Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Ynyslas and Coed y Brenin in the future.”

Ceredigion MS, Elin Jones, said in reaction: “I don't understand the logic by NRW of doing nothing until the centres have closed.

“It makes no sense. I'll be urging NRW to talk to potential partners for the sites immediately so that there is a seamless move to a new provider in April. A potential mothball is the worst possible option."