The economy minister has said £4.25m of public money "hasn't been wasted" as he defended the Welsh Government's purchase of a farm in Powys. The idea was for the Green Man Festival to use Gilestone Farm as a base for its operations and have events there but not move the main festival.
Concerns were repeatedly raised but this week it emerged the plan has been scrapped because two ospreys, which are protected birds, have nested there and could return. Vaughan Gething on Wednesday said the money hasn't been wasted and the land could actually be worth more now because of the presence of the birds.
The two ospreys were found nesting last June at the farm which the Welsh Government had bought for the team behind the much-loved music festival so they could develop plans for a permanent site, sustainable farming, and events for up to 3,000 people. It was the first time ospreys have nested in south Wales for around 200 years. It is expected, but not known, if the birds will return this spring.
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Mr Gething said that the site had been monitored since the ospreys were first observed there and an osprey conservation plan drawn up which advises a a 750m restricted zone around the nest must be in place on the farm within which only very limited human activity can take place. Managing director of Green Man, Fiona Stewart, said she was "disappointed" but thanked those who had supported the scheme.
Speaking in the Senedd on Wednesday, January 31, Mr Gething defended the purchase. Brecon and Radnorshire MS James Evans had said that the issue could have been avoided if "due diligence" had been done via "basic desktop" research.
Mr Gething denied there had been any lack of diligence because the ospreys were not there at the time the deal was done and the arrival of the birds should be seen as an asset. He said the Osprey Conservation Society says the land could be worth more because of the presence of the birds.
Mr Gething said: "Public money has not been wasted. We acquired an asset and we have a commercial farm business tenancy on the site. The site is in use and indeed we are looking at the longer-term future for Green Man which, as I say, is a fantastic cultural and economic asset for mid Wales."
There has been criticism from different sides about the way the process has been conducted and claims by Ms Stewart that she had been bullied. Mr Gething told the chamber that the abuse has been "genuinely disgraceful".
He said: "The member himself has talked about abuse in politics in this chamber. Some of that anger has enabled abuse with very little to hold it back apart from members on the community council and some people within this chamber trying to be on the right side of a robust but decent debate. It's caused some people to take a pause from their life in public service." For the latest politics news in Wales sign up to our newsletter here.
He directly criticised Mr Evans, who was shouting in response but off microphone, and seemed to say: "How dare you?" Mr Gething said: "I think the member should reflect on how he looks to communicate with his constituents and the way in which he stays on the right side of this. I have seen correspondence from constituents claiming that I've made statements that I have not and I've had a conversation about him with outside this chamber.
"His conduct is a matter from him but he should understand that I will not forget the way he's conducted himself and I hope the better from him in the future. And when it comes to the suitability of the site of course the ospreys were not there in August – there was no issue about lack of due diligence around the site.
"People are entitled to disagree as of course they are but there was no sight of the ospreys. As I say the first time in more than 200 years they have nested this far south – this is, in itself, a success story."
