Rally 'may miss out forest stage'

A public meeting in Brechfa heard that the sporting event might hold stages in mid and north Wales instead.

Lyn Jenkins, the rally's regional organiser for west Wales, said if the event did come to Brechfa local people may have a role in running a car park.

The November rally is held at locations including Margam, near Port Talbot, and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

The meeting on Thursday evening was organised by the area's community council after locals complained they were being inconvenienced by the event without enough benefits to their community.

Roads in the area are cordoned off when the rally is staged in Carmarthenshire's Brechfa forest each year.

Community council chairman Rocko Sisto said local people used to help run and marshal car parks for the thousands of visitors to the event, with money going to local schools, churches and other organisations.

Rally organisers told the meeting that the reason the local community had lost out recently was because the Brechfa stage had been shortened to one day - it was previously two - and therefore the event did not need as many car parks.

They also questioned whether there would be enough people in Brechfa to run one of the car parks.

Lyn Jenkins said he would know within the six weeks if the rally was going come to Brechfa.

He said: "As soon as we know, the community, the council, will know exactly what the plans are for 08."

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