ADAS has announced plans to invest in three new sites in mid-Wales following the company’s decision to end its lease on the Pwllpeiran research site at Cwmystwyth in Ceredigion.

In order to ensure that staff are located appropriately to further develop its research and consultancy activity, ADAS is to establish three sites in the region, with a major new office at Aberystwyth, and two further sites for scientific support staff and their vehicles and research equipment at nearby Llanafan. Technical staff from Pwllpeiran will relocate to these new bases in late March, joining other colleagues who will continue to deliver environmental and farm advisory services across the region.

This development is based on the business model operated successfully by ADAS in England since 2007 when the company ended its leases on the suite of English research sites owned by Defra.  ADAS says that the research activity it carries out for a variety of clients is delivered more flexibly and profitably if undertaken on suitable commercial farms in collaboration with the host farmers.

Andrew Walker, Executive Director at ADAS said:
“This is a positive new development for our operations in Wales after the decision to end our lease at Pwllpeiran, because it was financially unviable. ADAS has made every effort to accommodate the current employees at the site, which is why the majority will be relocated and will keep their jobs.

“There have been some inaccurate reports in the media about job losses, but we can confirm that ADAS has tried to minimise the threat and only one employee has been offered redundancy.

“The new sites will provide the operational infrastructure that ADAS needs to continue to deliver its portfolio of advice and research to farmers and to Government in Wales.”

ADAS can also confirm that following discussion with Welsh Government, its farm workers at Pwllpeiran will transfer to WG employment at the end of March and will continue to manage the farm on behalf of WG.