RSPB Cymru Lake Vyrnwy Community Update - October 2011

Why are RSPB & UU in partnership?  The RSPB and UU’s believe that a partnership at Vyrnwy is the best way of securing the wider public interests in the estate.  Both organisations have a primary interest and expertise in managing different assets of the estate - UU on water quality and sustainable catchment management, the RSPB on farm and conservation management, restoration of habitats and introducing people to nature. We have a track record of working closely together, with RSPB delivering the day to day management on behalf of the partnership.

 

Why does RSPB want to buy the estate given that you already have a nature reserve agreement? The Nature Reserve Agreement gives RSPB certain rights of access and monitoring, and requires renewal periodically. Purchasing the lease hold removes this uncertainty around renewal and gives us greater tenure to ensure the nature conservation interest, the improvement of the visitor offer and the people engagement opportunities

 

What do you mean by “improving the visitor offer”? More that 250,000 visitors come to Lake Vyrnwy every year and we believe that by working with the local community and local businesses, it will be possible to encourage those visitors to stay longer in area and to spend more money at Vyrnwy, thereby having a beneficial impact on the local economy.

 

Will you build a new visitor centre, and would it have community facilities in it? We believe that a new ‘visitor centre’ would act as welcoming hub for visitors, providing them with information about the range of activities, events and accommodation available to them in the area. This centre could include community facilities.  The RSPB’s experience in other parts of the UK is that this type of centre can facilitate local regeneration. As the RSPB have done in many other places, we will develop a shared plan through a series of discussions with the community and once this has been finalised, the RSPB’s professional fundraisers will seek to raise the capital funding from a wide range of sources to turn our plans into reality. The current community facilities (cinema building, public toilets, etc) are currently part of the negotiations between RSPB-UU and STW. We will inform the community of the outcomes of these discussions as soon as possible.

 

Will the visitor offer RSPB want to create be in competition with local business?  We will seek to work together with local people and businesses and to develop a shared strategy for the visitor experience and offer. It is too soon to describe the detail of our plans as we wish to work these up in dialogue with the local community.

 

Why does the RSPB have a farming operation here? Will it continue to be an organic farm? Carwyn Jones, now Wales’ First Minister, described the RSPB farm at Vyrnwy as “a beacon of hope” and “an ambassador for Welsh sustainable farming” on his visit in 2005. The RSPB aims to demonstrate that a viable farm business can be compatible with meeting environmental and rural development objectives. Organic farming has strict controls of the use of inorganic fertilisers and medicines which helps improve the purity of the water flowing off the land into the reservoir.

 

What level of engagement can the community have on the future management of the estate? We will engage the community in discussions around the future management of the estate. We will define the detail of this over the coming months. If there is sufficient interest we would like to organise an open session where we invite questions on the proposed land management plan as well as more regular drop sessions where individuals can raise issues on a 1-2-1 basis.

 

What employment prospects are you likely to create? The RSPB currently employ 21 staff at Lake Vyrnwy and it is expected that this number will increase as we take on the lead day-to-day management of the farmed land on the estate. It is not possible to be specific at this stage, however there are likely to be new vacancies available to work for the RSPB in a number of specialist and semi skilled roles. We will continue to employ local contractors.

 

What training opportunities will there be for young people? There are a range of different skills sets required to run the RSPB operation at Lake Vyrnwy and we currently offer a range of volunteer placements which help people of all ages develop their skills and provide them with experience for the work place. We encourage applications from local people to apply to volunteer with us.  As part of our developing strategy we will seek opportunities to fund training apprenticeships and look for partnerships with local training providers.

 

What is your response to the National Assembly for Wales’ Environment Committee decision to set up an inquiry into the process of the Lake Vyrnwy sale? United Utilities and the RSPB share a vision for sustainable management of Lake Vyrnwy which seeks to protect and enhance the delivery of public benefits – such as water, carbon, wildlife and access, through investment in land management and visitor facilities. We believe that safeguarding and managing these important attributes is in the public interest and we welcome the Senedd Environment Committee’s interest in the sale.

 

RSPB Cymru – y wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i gymuned Llyn Efyrnwy – Hydref 2011

 

 

Pam fod yr RSPB ac UU mewn partneriaeth?  Mae'r RSPB ac UU yn credu mai creu partneriaeth yn Efyrnwy yw'r ffordd orau o sicrhau buddiannau ehangach y cyhoedd yn yr ystâd. Mae gan y ddau sefydliad ddiddordeb uniongyrchol mawr ac arbenigedd mewn rheoli asedau gwahanol o'r ystad - UU ag ansawdd dŵr a rheoli dalgylchoedd cynaliadwy, yr RSPB â’r fferm a rheoli cadwraeth, adfer cynefinoedd a chyflwyno pobl i natur. Mae gennym hanes da iawn o weithio'n agos gyda'n gilydd, gyda'r RSPB yn cyflawni’r rheolaeth ddydd i ddydd ar ran y bartneriaeth.

 

Pam fod RSPB eisiau prynu’r ystad o gofio bod gennych eisoes gytundeb i’w rheoli fel gwarchodfa natur? Mae'r Cytundeb Gwarchodfa Natur yn rhoi rhai hawliau mynediad a monitro i’r RSPB, ond mae angen ei adnewyddu o bryd i'w gilydd. Fe fydd prynu'r brydles yn cael gwared ar yr ansicrwydd hwn ac yn rhoi mwy o sicrwydd i ni i allu gwneud ein gwaith cadwraeth, i wella’r hyn sydd yn cael ei gynnig i ymwelwyr a’r cyfleoedd i gysylltu â phobol.

 

Beth ydych chi'n ei olygu wrth "wella'r hyn a gynigir i ymwelwyr"? Mae mwy na 250,000 o ymwelwyr yn dod i Lyn Efyrnwy bob blwyddyn a thrwy weithio â’r gymuned a busnesau lleol rydym yn credu ei fod yn bosibl i annog yr ymwelwyr  hynny i dreulio mwy o amser, a mwy o arian, yn yr ardal, a thrwy hynny i gael effaith bositif ar yr economi leol.

 

A fyddwch chi’n adeiladu canolfan ymwelwyr newydd, ac a fyddai honno yn cynnwys cyfleusterau i’r gymuned? Rydym yn credu y byddai 'canolfan ymwelwyr' newydd yn ganolbwynt da i groesawu ymwelwyr ac i ddarparu gwybodaeth am yr ystod o weithgareddau, digwyddiadau a llety sydd ar gael iddynt yn yr ardal. Gallai’r ganolfan hon gynnwys cyfleusterau i’r gymuned. Mae ein profiadau mewn rhannau eraill o Brydain yn ein harwain i gredu bod y math yma o ganolfan yn gallu hyrwyddo adfywiad lleol. Fel yr ydym wedi ei wneud mewn mannau eraill, yn dilyn trafodaethau fe wnawn ni ddatblygu cynllun ar y cyd gyda’r gymuned ac unwaith y mae hwnnw wedi ei gwblhau, fe wnaiff codwyr arian proffesiynol yr RSPB geisio codi arian o ystod eang o ffynhonnellau i droi ein cynlluniau yn realiti.

Mae'r cyfleusterau cymunedol presennol (y sinema, toiledau cyhoeddus, ac ati) yn rhan o'r trafodaethau ar hyn o bryd rhwng RSPB-UU ag STW. Fe wnawn ni roi gwybod i'r gymuned ganlyniadau'r trafodaethau hynny cyn gynted ag y bo modd.

 

A fydd yr hyn y mae’r RSPB am ei gynnig i ymwelwyr yn cystadlu â busnesau lleol? Fe wnawn ni geisio gweithio gyda phobl leol a busnesau i ddatblygu strategaeth gytûn ar gyfer yr hyn hoffem gynnig i ymwelwyr. Mae'n rhy fuan i ni ddisgrifio manylion ein cynlluniau eto gan ein bod ni’n dymuno creu’r rhain yn dilyn deialog â'r gymuned leol.

 

Pam fod gan yr RSPB fusnes ffermio yma? A fydd hwnnw yn parhau i fod yn fferm organig? Ar ei ymweliad yn 2005, disgrifiodd Carwyn Jones, sydd bellach yn Brif Weinidog Cymru, fferm RSPB yn Efyrnwy fel "symbol o obaith" a "llysgennad ar gyfer ffermio Cymreig cynaliadwy". Gobaith yr RSPB yw profi y gall busnes fferm ymarferol fod yn gydnaws â chyflawni amcanion datblygu amgylcheddol a gwledig.
Mae gan ffermio organig reolau llym ar y defnydd o wrtaith anorganig a meddyginiaethau, sydd yn helpu i wella purdeb y dŵr sy’n llifo oddi ar y tir i mewn i'r llyn.

 

Faint o gyfle fydd gan y gymuned i drafod rheolaeth o’r ystad yn y dyfodol? Byddwn yn cynnwys y gymuned mewn trafodaethau yn ymwneud â rheolaeth yr ystad yn y dyfodol. Byddwn yn diffinio y manylion hyn dros y misoedd nesaf. Os oes digon o ddiddordeb hoffem drefnu sesiwn agored lle wnawn ni wahodd cwestiynau ar y cynllun rheoli’r tir arfaethedig, yn ogystal â sesiynau galw heibio rheolaidd lle y gall unigolion godi materion ar sail 1-wrth-1.

 

Pa gyfleon cyflogaeth ydych chi'n debygol o greu? Mae'r RSPB yn cyflogi 21 o staff ar hyn o bryd yn Llyn Efyrnwy ac rydym yn disgwyl y bydd y nifer hwn yn cynyddu wrth i ni ymgymryd ar reolaeth ddydd i ddydd o’r tir sy’n cael ei ffermio ar yr ystad. Does dim modd bod yn fwy penodol ar hyn o bryd ond mae’n debygol, fodd bynnag, y bydd swyddi newydd ar gael i weithio i'r RSPB mewn sawl  rôl arbenigol a lled-arbenigol. Byddwn yn parhau i gyflogi contractwyr lleol.

 

Pa gyfleoedd hyfforddi fydd ar gael ar gyfer pobl ifanc? Mae yna amrywiaeth o sgiliau gwahanol sydd eu hangen i redeg gwaith yr RSPB yn Llyn Efyrnwy ac, ar hyn o bryd, rydym yn cynnig amrywiaeth o leoliadau gwirfoddol sy'n helpu pobl o bob oed i ddatblygu eu sgiliau ac i roi profiad iddynt ar gyfer y gweithle. Rydym yn annog pobl leol i wneud cais i wirfoddoli gyda ni. Fel rhan o'n strategaeth byddwn yn chwilio am gyfleoedd i ariannu hyfforddiant i brentisiaid a chwilio am bartneriaethau gyda darparwyr hyfforddiant lleol.

 

 What is your response to the National Assembly for Wales’ Environment Committee decision to set up an inquiry into the process of the Lake Vyrnwy sale? United Utilities and the RSPB share a vision for sustainable management of Lake Vyrnwy which seeks to protect and enhance the delivery of public benefits – such as water, carbon, wildlife and access, through investment in land management and visitor facilities. We believe that safeguarding and managing these important attributes is in the public interest and we welcome the Senedd Environment Committee’s interest in the sale.  

 

Beth yw eich ymateb i benderfyniad Pwyllgor yr Amgylchedd Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru i sefydlu ymchwiliad i'r broses o werthu Llyn Efyrnwy? Mae United Utilities a'r RSPB yn rhannu gweledigaeth ar gyfer rheolaeth gynaliadwy o Lyn Efyrnwy sy'n ceisio gwarchod a gwella y manteision i'r cyhoedd - megis dŵr, carbon, bywyd gwyllt ac hawliau mynediad, drwy fuddsoddi mewn rheoli tir a chyfleusterau i ymwelwyr. Rydym yn credu bod diogelu a rheoli'r nodweddion hyn o bwys i’r cyhoedd ac rydym yn croesawu'r diddordeb y Pwyllgor yr Amgylchedd y Senedd yng ngwerthiant ystad Efyrnwy.