Public cash for botanic garden
21 March 2011
The Welsh Assembly has voted through an £800,000 funding deal for the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire, including a £100,000 grant to improve facilities, after an independent report said it could not survive without public money.
The deal replaces the current three-year agreement, worth £1.9 million, which comes to an end in April.
The review of the Garden, which last year celebrated its 10th anniversary, said it was vital for regional tourism and was a major contributor to the local economy, as well as building a growing international reputation.
It also pointed out that all botanic gardens need public subsidy, and both Kew and Edinburgh receive more public funding per visitor than the Carmarthenshire garden.
As a result Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said the Assembly would provide £700,000 for the next financial year. In addition, Carmarthenshire County Council will provide another £60,000 a year for the next three years.
'This level of funding will help the gardens to develop further as a scientific centre of excellence, a showcase for sustainability, and as a visitor attraction,' he said.
However the Garden must fulfil several conditions as part of the deal, including drawing up a major maintenance plan, extending its educational programme and exploring more international research opportunities.
The Botanic Garden has gone through periodic funding difficulties ever since it opened in 2000. A previous injection of public money saved the Garden from closure in 2004, and the current funding review followed a further bailout of £250,000 last year.