The purchase of Gilestone Farm 'should never have happened'. That's according to James Evans MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Mid Wales.
It comes after Vaughan Gething today announced that the Gilestone Farm project is not going ahead, due to ospreys nesting in the area.
Commenting on the news that nesting ospreys have halted the Labour Welsh Government’s Gilestone farm plans, Mr Evans said: “I believe the purchase of Gilestone Farm by Welsh Government should never have happened in the first place. There were serious concerns raised about the appropriateness of this particular site and its suitability for the proposed use."
In the statement, Mr Gething says that elected officials and business partners have been 'subject to sustained and personal attacks', and that 'it is concerning that women in particular have borne the brunt of personal and abusive criticism'.
Mr Evans says: "All conversations I had on this topic, whether with elected officials, members of the community or at the public meeting I convened – all discussions were respectful of the opposing viewpoint and I have not witnessed any of the alleged inappropriate behaviour outlined in this statement. The lack of information from Welsh Government and lack of Community involvement throughout the whole process was extremely frustrating and I hope that lessons will be learnt in future developments that Welsh Government may wish to undertake.
"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. The next time the Labour Government plans to get the cheque book out, they should listen to local concerns and conduct themselves with far greater transparency.”
Fay Jones, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire told the BBC that it was an "extraordinary waste of taxpayers' money".
In 2022, the Welsh Government acquired Gilestone Farm for £4.25 million 'to support the growth of the creative sector in Wales.' In a written statement, Mr Gething has announced that the plans 'can no longer be realised', due to nesting ospreys.