Business leaders within the National Park have today launched a campaign to put pressure on the leadership of the National Park Authority to reinstate the bilingual term ‘Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons National Park’ as the name for the authority and National Park area.

The business group, who refer to themselves as ‘Our Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons Business Group’, say they are proud of the bilingual nation in Wales and believe this tradition must be protected and respected. They are concerned that the decision to only refer to the authority and Park area in Welsh has not considered the 1993 Welsh Language Act, which states the English and Welsh languages should be treated on a basis of equality.

‘Our Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons Business Group’ consists of a range of businesses from small and large tourism, agriculture, green energy firms, hospitality and retail. All have come together with the sole aim - ‘We are calling for the National Park Authority to reinstate the Bilingual Bannau Brycheiniog /Brecon Beacons National Parkname and brand’.

The business group believe no consultation process has been carried out with their community or the wider population who live in and around the National Park, and that there will be a negative knock-on effect that will ripple through the community due to the phasing out of the name ‘Brecon Beacons’, which the community has spent many decades working on to make the area a well-known and much loved global hotspot for tourism.

The campaign has now signed up more than 50 businesses which operate in and around the National Park as well as the Brecon Beacons Tourism Group who support this campaign, with dozens more being contacted every day to sign up and make their voices heard. 

Several of the signatories are fully trained up ‘Ambassadors’ to the National Park Authority, who claim they were not even notified about the renaming and rebranding project before its launch on April 17.

Helen Howarth, owner of Brecon Retreats and Ambassador for the BBNP said: “I firmly believe that losing our identity as the Brecon Beacons NP will be detrimental to us all and especially tourism, hospitality and trade.

"As a long-serving Brecon Beacons Ambassador, trained by the National Park, I shine the light for Welsh Culture and Heritage, Sustainable Tourism, Dark Skies, and Geology, to name a few. I have been entrusted with being a torchbearer for our unique destination. I care passionately about the future and the well-being of us all connected to the BBNP. 

"The BBNP Authority are still yet to name one person or one business that had been consulted. This entirely contradicts the statement they gave to the media of extensive consultation. They didn't engage with any of their 100+ ambassadors, nor did they actively consult with Brecon Beacons Tourism, representative of over 250 businesses in and around the National Park. The sign-off of the new brand was also done behind closed doors. I find this totally disrespectful and unacceptable from the leaders of the National Park Authority.”

Richard Dalley CEng, director and co-owner of FGE Biomass based in Brecon, said: “Providing market leading renewable energy products, spares and support from the heart of the Brecon Beacons to the whole of the UK’ has been our mantra since we started our business over 10 years ago.  We compete with and sell to businesses across the UK.  At no point have we been consulted by the BBNP on whether this would have a positive or negative impact upon our business.

"I firmly belove that retaining the bilingual name allows us to connect with our rich local heritage and employees, while also connecting us strongly with our customer base across the UK”.

Ashford Price, chairman of Dan yr Ogof Showcaves said: “The name Brecon Beacons National Park is known internationally.  

"This name is used as a powerful marketing tool by nearly everyone involved in tourism in the Park. For the Park authority to change this prestigious name without consultation with the people involved in tourism is an act of betrayal by the park authorities."