Pressure is mounting on a council to save Wales’ only indoor rainforest from budget cuts, as 1,200 people sign a petition for its protection.
The Plantasia centre sees over 80,000 annual visitors and houses 45 species of animals, including critically endangered Cotton Top Tamarin Monkeys and a breeding group of Egyptian Tortoises.
However proposals from Swansea Council could see the 25 year old centre closed if an appropriate group is not found to run the facility at no extra cost to the town hall.
A petition to keep Plantasia open to the public has now received 1,241 signatures, only 259 short of its overall target.
Trade union Unison has come out in support of the indoor rainforest, urging councillors to keep the site open and protect the jobs of its 10 employees.
A Unison spokesperson said it would be ‘a terrible loss’ for people living ‘miles around’ if Plantasia was to close.
Petition leader Charlotte Bevan said: ‘We understand that local authorities are having to make drastic cuts but surely this is very short-sighted and there must be other and alternative ways of keeping this vital educational resource open?’
Responding to the petition, a council spokesperson said: ‘As a council, we have to find £81m of savings over the next three years. This means difficult decisions have to be made to protect as many services as possible for residents across Swansea.
‘The proposal that went out for consultation was to offer an appropriate group the chance to run Plantasia at no cost to the council or, if one couldn’t be found, to stop providing the service. All feedback submitted during the consultation period will be taken on board before any final decision is made.’
Photo: Lisa Stevens / flickr