Thanks to Chipps over at Singletrack world for tipping us off about changes at the café and Visitor Centre at Coed y Brenin. Apparently Sian and Dafydd Roberts, who have run the centre since the mid 90s, are being kicked out by their landlord, Forestry Enterprises.

Unless Sian and Dafydd successfully challenge the ‘notice to quit’ from the FE, they will have to be out of the cafe by the end of March, a few days before the Fat Tyre Festival. Given the Roberts’ highly active role in developing the Coed y Brenin centre, cafe and trails, and helping to make it the hugely popular MTB destination it now is, it’s unsurprising that their apparently unceremonious dumping by the FE is causing quite a stink, especially when the FE have already announced plans to create an entirely new centre and cafe.

Putting fresh resources in to cope with the numbers now visiting the area is all very well, but if FE don’t manage to get the staffing right and compromise the character of the place it could all backfire.

If you want to register your concern at the way Sian and Dafydd have been treated and its possible implications for Coed y Brenin, you can write to the Director of FE Wales at:

Bob Farmer
Director of Forest Enterprise Wales
Forestry Commission
National Office for Wales
Victoria Terrace
Abertystwyth
Ceredigion. Wales
SY23 2DQ

You can also fax them on : 01970 625282, or call them on: 01970 612367. Singletrack have a pre-written letter for the lazy, but obviously the more variety in the letters sent in, the more powerful it will be. Check Singletrack for the full story.