THE future of an event which brings the world’s best drivers to forests near Aberystwyth and Machynlleth looks “very uncertain” after Natural Resources Wales doubled charges to use its roads.
With stages at Myherin, Sweet Lamb and Hafren, near Aberystwyth, and Dyfi and Gartheiniog, near Machynlleth and Dolgellau, the FIA World Rally Championship’s Wales Rally GB has become a classic rally in the calendar of a competition which tests drivers at the pinnacle of motorsport.
But a row has erupted between the UK motorsport governing body, Motor Sports Association UK, and the Welsh Government-sponsored agency which maintains the forest stages, Natural Resources Wales, after NRW announced it is to increase what it charges MSA to use its forest tracks from £339,000 to £655,000.
NRW said it has increased the costs based on what it cost to repair the roads following last year’s Wales Rally GB, and has claimed it is unfair to use public funds to subsidise the rally.
David Edwell, head of enterprise for NRW, said: “Under our previous agreement MSA paid £339,000 in stage rally charges, but in 2015 the actual cost to NRW to reinstate the roads used for rallying was £655,000.
“We understand that any increase in cost is difficult to manage and as a result we agreed to hold the existing charges until May and we have discussed several options, including giving the MSA the opportunity to carry out the road repairs themselves.
Mr Edwell added: “We cannot continue to use public funds to subsidise the sport to this degree.”
But MSA have said the Welsh Government is failing to see the bigger picture of what the rally is worth to the local economy, especially rural communities, and claims the future of the championship in Wales is in doubt