Green Man festival, which rises up each August from the parkland and rolling countryside of the Usk Valley in mid-Wales, is facing accusations that its plans for a sustainable future will threaten some of the most vulnerable and protected wildlife and habitats in the country.
The Welsh government is under pressure over its decision to spend £4.25m of public money to buy a farm in Talybont-on-Usk for the Green Man owners to use as a base for its expansion.
The 240 acres of Gilestone Farm are within one of 12 important areas identified by the Welsh government for curlews, which are on the brink of extinction, as well as being home to protected lesser horseshoe bats, which have suffered widespread population decline, and adjacent to the sensitive and protected banks of the Usk itself.
Amid the cries of environmental threats, the Welsh government is defending its actions, saying they fulfil its policies to support rural communities, create sustainable jobs and support culture, tourism and the arts.
The festival’s owner, Fiona Stewart, has said everything she does on the farm will put the environment at its core. There is no question of the festival moving to Gilestone Farm; instead it will be used to hold two or three smaller events up to 3,000-strong, as well as regenerative farming, a brewery and climate-focused work.
The festival, which this year will feature acts such as Kraftwerk, Beach House and Kae Tempest, has long had strong green credentials and a reputation for an environmentally friendly approach. But tensions are running high in the Usk Valley as Green Man prepares to hold its 2022 event over four days from 18 August. Villagers, many of whom are retired, have set up a new organisation, the Usk Valley Conservation Group, to highlight what they say are their environmental concerns.
Those close to the project suggest there is more than an element of nimbyism involved and argue Green Man’s sustainable reputation has been clear for the more than 16 years it has been run on its current site on the nearby Glanusk estate.
For Andy King, the official bird recorder for Brecknockshire, any development or business on the farm has to be sensitive to the opportunities to help the curlew recover. In its action plan for curlews, the Welsh government said the wading bird was predicted to be on the brink of extinction as a viable breeding species in Wales by 2033. The plan aims to conserve breeding curlews over a 10-year programme of focused conservation action in the 12 identified areas.
“The part of Gilestone Farm that they wish to use for events is the area that lends itself to providing a habitat for curlews,” said King. “I have walked that area for 30 years; the birdlife is rich there because of the River Usk running along its edge. There are more than 100 species of birds in and around the farm. There are curlews on neighbouring land, so we know they love that valley.”
In a session in the Welsh parliament, Mark Isherwood, the chair of the public accounts and public administration committee, challenged officials on whether they considered the environmental issues at all before buying the farm for a private business.
“This is a very environmentally sensitive site,” he said. “The farm is known to be home to protected wildlife, bats, endangered curlews, and is next to a special area of conservation … so what consideration was given to any pre-existing or potential planning limitations?”
Andrew Slade, the director general for economy, treasury and constitution in the Welsh government, said the decision was made based on the need to secure a future for the Green Man festival in Wales.
Slade said officials had been working with the festival owner since 2019 to try to find a property as a permanent base to secure its future in Wales to stop it being bought out by a multinational company and taken out of the principality. The festival had insufficient funds to buy the farm, he said, so after considering an outline business plan last year, the Welsh government bought it for the organisers to pursue objectives of supporting economic development, tourism and the arts.
“The festival is the jewel in Wales’s crown,” he said. “We have been talking about how to preserve both the potential of the festival but also the brand. It attracts 25,000 people and generates £10m annually for the Welsh economy, and has a social media reach of a quarter of a million people.”
A full business plan, which was commercially sensitive and would not be made public, was being analysed by officials and that was the point at which environmental issues and constraints on the land would be examined, he said.
Stewart met the community in Talybont on Usk in May, attending a meeting at which she answered concerns about her plans.
Stewart said her festival had a record of creating jobs and was keen to set up partnerships and training opportunities for young people in the community. The farm would remain a working farm, she said, but would also include green and sustainable projects.
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But Peter Seaman, founder of the Usk Valley Conservation Group, said there were environmental concerns around at-risk species, pollution of the River Usk – which routinely flooded on the farm – and the impact of the business on the small community nestled in the south of the Usk Valley.
“The western end of the farm is the feeding ground for lesser horseshoe bats – exactly the area the festival wants to use for events. There needs to be no light and no noise; having hundreds or thousands of people on site is a no-go for these bats, which are the most protected species.”
The river was also at risk, he said. “Like many rivers the Usk suffers from high levels of nitrate and phosphate pollution … at the moment there’s a biodigester dealing with sewage but the more activities there are, the more likelihood there is for pollution of the Usk.”
The Welsh government said: “Green Man is a major employer in mid-Wales, making a significant contribution to the local economy and employing a large number of people both in its main festival business and in an increasing number of related ventures, which place a strong emphasis on sustainable development.
“As a fast-paced growing industry in Wales, it is important that the Welsh government is able to continue to invest in effective interventions and provide support both direct to business and to activities that contribute to the development of a nurturing and supportive environment for the creative sector in Wales.”
Green Man festival declined to comment.