Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr MP Steve Witherden visited the Centre for Alternative Technology as redevelopments begin.

Machynlleth’s environmental education charity is to be a recipient of significant Mid Wales Growth Deal funding to redevelop the site.

Visiting the centre based on an old quarry this month, MP Witherden said CAT is “leading the way” in teaching “respect for the natural world”.

Witherden’s father was a founding member of CAT in the 1970s, serving as an agricultural economist, which is why the Welsh Labour MP grew up in Wales.

Witherden said about the visit on 24 October: “I was overjoyed to be back again at the Centre for Alternative Technology.

“I cannot overstate the depth of my connection to this amazing place.”

He explained that this family connection “is the very reason I am Welsh and by extension, the Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr”, adding: “I am so proud to represent an area hosting one of the most forward-thinking institutions – always ahead of the curve – in Wales.

“In offering qualifications and courses too, it is the closest thing the constituency has to a university.

“Our species gravely needs to learn to respect the natural world.

“To that end, CAT continues to lead the way.

“It is of huge value to the constituency, the region, and the world.”

The Cynefin project is said to be receiving £25m to futureproof the centre, described as a flagship initiative aimed at boosting green skills, innovation, and sustainability across the region by improving their post-graduate educational facilities, visitors' experience and events spaces.

The development, which got the go-ahead this June, aims to position mid Wales as a leader in low-carbon innovation, helping communities and businesses adapt to climate challenges while creating high-quality jobs in the green economy.