Green man festival Gilestone Farm plans scrapped due to nesting ospreys

A pair of protected osprey birds have led to the scrapping of plans that saw the Welsh Government purchase a £4.25m farm for the Green Man festival organisation.

The controversial plans to buy Gilestone farm, signed off by Economy Minister Vaughan Gething, were dropped after the discovery of two osprey birds.

The protected-by-law species haven't been seen to nest this far south in nearly 200 years, deeming the site unsuitable for it's planned future usage; experts say a 750m restriction zone must be enforced around the farm.

Plaid Cymru say the plans have been a "fiasco" since the start, whilst Brecon and Radnorshire MS James Evans says he feels locals' views were ignored from the get-go and that the purchase "should never have been made."

"Conservation concerns were raised early on in this process, as were concerns about the purchase of the farm itself, and now the Labour government finds itself holding an expensive asset for a purpose completely alien to their initial plan," Evans added.

Welsh Government officials will now discuss the future of the site with community representatives and consider whether to sell the site near Talybont-on-Usk.

The farm was originally bought by the Welsh Government in 2022 to provide a permanent base for the Green Man Festival company; they were expected to use the site for new events whilst keeping the main festival at its Glan Usk Park site near Brecon.

Questions were raised at the time about why the Welsh Government had purchased a site without submitting a business plan first, but an auditor says Labour ministers acted with "avoidable haste" when it bought the farm.

In a written statement, Mr Gething said: "Given the historic significant of this development, the birds’ welfare and that of the nest are of course of paramount importance. To protect them, we ensured that initial surveillance and site security was installed at the site in partnership with local bird recorders. Last year we also appointed the UK’s leading expert on ospreys to undertake an ‘Osprey Conservation Plan’ for Gilestone Farm. This was to advise on how we can best manage the site going forward, alongside our continued ambitions for sustainable economic development, including the potential for rural tourism opportunities that support employment opportunities for young people."

"I received the expert adviser’s report in December and after taking its recommendations into consideration, and discussing these with the Leader of Powys and Green Man it is clear that the full commercial and charitable objectives of the Green Man Group, as set out in its business plan for the use of Gilestone Farm, can no longer be realised. This is because the report advises that a 750m restricted zone around the nest must be in place on the farm within which only very limited human activity can take place. Protecting the environment for the birds is and will remain paramount."

"As stated previously, the ambition set out in Green Man’s business plan represents a positive opportunity for jobs in and investment in rural Wales that matches the strategic priorities - agreed by the UK Government, Welsh Government and local authorities - in the Growing Mid Wales partnership action plan."

"The Partnership’s vision document sets Strategic Growth Priorities which include tourism, agriculture, food and drink, research and innovation, support for enterprise and skills and employment which are clearly aligned to the proposed areas of activity set out by Green Man to date."

"Green Man is a great commercial and cultural asset for Wales. The multi-award-winning, independent Welsh business, that is dedicated to sustainability, is a firm partner of the Welsh Government and we are excited about the opportunities we have to align the strength of their brand with an expanded business vision."

"We are committed to continuing our work with Green Man to help the company secure a suitable long-term base in Wales, where its strong potential can be realised; my officials will continue to work with them and our wider partners to help achieve this aim, just as we work with a broad range of other key Welsh and overseas investors in regions across Wales."

"It is important that investors feel confident about the Welsh Government’s determination to maximise the jobs and opportunities that can help rural communities thrive, especially those that enable more young people to plan a variety of ambitious futures closer to home – a core tenet of our Economic Mission. It is also important that investors can have confidence in the strength of that commitment when it is tested by aggressive lobbying efforts to change government policy. We are always willing to listen, but Welsh Ministers do not change decisions based on threats issued by third parties, including where attempts are made to raise matters that are entirely unrelated to the policy objectives in question. It is a matter of regret that discussions about Gilestone Farm have sometimes fallen into this category."

"It is equally disappointing that elected officials and business partners have been subject to sustained and personal attacks regarding this matter. As the First Minister has stated in the Senedd, the Welsh Government takes these matters very seriously and it is concerning that women in particular have borne the brunt of personal and abusive criticism that has no place in our society."

"The arrival of the ospreys, and the presence of their nest, is a hugely significant development from a nature perspective, but despite the exclusion zone now in place at Gilestone Farm, there still remain opportunities for sustainable farming and economic development at the site. We are engaging with relevant partner organisations around the potential to develop these opportunities for the longer term."

"While we undertake this work, we will continue to manage the farm appropriately. We are also extending the existing Farm Business Tenancy to allow conversations around future potential uses for the site to take place. The Welsh Government’s well-established principles for use and disposal of land and property assets will provide a basis for making decisions about the future of the farm."

"My officials are meeting with community representatives at Talybont-on-Usk to discuss the Osprey Conservation Plan and the next steps around the future management of the site."

Managing director of Green Man Festival, Fiona Stewart, said: "While we are obviously disappointed that the project will not be going ahead at Gilestone Farm, we will now look at other opportunities."