Ospreys have returned to Gilestone Farm after scuppering ministers’ £4.25m plans, casting a shadow over the future of the site as a long-term decision looms.
Welsh ministers swooped to buy the Powys-based farm in March 2022 as another home for the Green Man music festival, with the aim of supporting growth of the creative sector in Wales.
But the plans were scrapped in early 2024 after a pair of ospreys were discovered, with ministers advised to establish a 750-metre restriction zone around their nest.
Now, the Welsh Government has confirmed the ospreys – which are a protected species – have returned this spring, firmly placing an asterisk next to the farm’s valuation.
Andrew Slade, the Welsh Government’s economy director general, provided an update in a published ahead of a Senedd public accounts committee meeting on May 14.
‘Critical factors’
Mr Slade said the farm was valued at £3.75m in March, with a comment on the valuation “noting the presence of the ospreys on the site inevitably brings some uncertainty”.
He told the committee the property continues to be leased on commercial terms via a farm business tenancy until November, with officials considering options beyond that.
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Mr Slade wrote: “Members of the committee will appreciate the significance of the nesting ospreys at the site and I can confirm the ospreys have recently returned and within days of their arrival have laid an egg.
“The birds’ welfare, and the protection of the nest, continue to be critical factors when considering future options for the site.”
Mr Slade promised to write to the committee again when he can provide an update on firm proposals for the site, which is thought to generate about £32,000 a year in tenancy income.
‘Perceived conflict’
A 2023 Audit Wales found ministers acted with “avoidable haste” as an underspend fuelled a rush to make a decision on the £4.25m purchase before the financial year’s end.
The public accounts committee is finalising its report on the saga following a nearly three-year inquiry into the decision made by then-economy minister Vaughan Gething.
In a on the future of Gilestone Farm in January 2024, Mr Gething was confident a way forward for the site would be agreed by that spring.
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Two other ministers, Jeremy Miles and Julie James, had to take no part in decision making after attending a social event at a lobbyist’s home alongside the Green Man festival’s boss.
Mark Drakeford, then-first minister, found no breach of the rules following an investigation into the informal gathering but accepted the “risk of perceived conflict".