Village roads choked by tourists’ cars
VILLAGERS in an Eryri (Snowdonia) community fear they are playing second fiddle to tourists wanting to climb Wales’ highest mountain.
Over Easter roads were choked, driveways blocked and the community of Nant Peris was transformed into a “mudbath”.
Buses also struggled to cope with inconsiderate parking in the small village, which lies at the foot of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). A park-and-ride facility was set up in Nant Peris to ease the pressure on the A4086 leading to Pen y Pass but, over Easter, this was full and an overflow car park was unavailable due to soggy ground conditions.
Instead, hundreds of cars parked on the roadside, making it difficult for local traffic to pass safely.
“There were more cars there than I’d ever seen before,” said Chris Fawcett, who lives nearby.
“But it’s not just Easter, this has been an issue since January whenever we’ve had a dry weekend. There seems to be a mix of people who are prepared to pay (for parking) and those who aren’t.”
He said: “All the verges have been churned up or left with deep tyre ruts. A triangle of grass, which was coned up, has been turned into a mudbath.
“Some places look like battlefields. They’re really boggy – I was sinking up to my ankles. It’s such a shame to see this beautiful village churned up – it went from looking green to brown in the space of a few days.”
Cyngor Gwynedd has urged visitors to respect “parking restrictions and keep the roads clear and safe”. Working with Eryri National Park, the local authority said several initiatives have been implemented already to curb nuisance parking.
Yet, such is the deluge of visitors wanting to climb Yr Wyddfa, or visit Llyn Padarn, it’s prompted renewed calls for an extra park-and-ride facility at Glyn Rhonwy on the outskirts of nearby Llanberis. New roads have been built across this former industrial site and quarry – but it has lain empty and abandoned for years.
“People in the area don’t want Llanberis to be turned into a giant car park,” said Mr Fawcett.
“When the Electric Mountain visitor centre was to be demolished, various community uses were proposed but part of the site has been retained as a car park anyway.
“As Glyn Rhonwy lies just outside Llanberis, its use as a car park wouldn’t impact on local services. Everyone wants to see a thriving village but local people are getting hammered because of its attraction for tourists.”
Cyngor Gwynedd was asked about the prospect of using Glyn Rhonwy.
While the local authority declined to address the issue, it said it is “considering increasing parking provision at appropriate sites within the context of wider factors”.
Indiscriminate parking is not the only issue. Wild camping is another, both by those arriving in motorhomes or pitching up tents that are “hidden behind dry stone walls in the Pass”.
According to Mr Fawcett, volunteer litter crews must regularly deal with the consequences.
“We all know what they’re doing for using the toilet,” he said.
“It’s a health hazard for us locals, our animals and our waterways.”