Overnight Parking Ban Suspended in Eryri National Park
Overnight parking will once again be permitted at nine car parks within Wales' largest national park, two months after a ban was implemented.
The Eryri National Park Authority (ENPA) had introduced restrictions on overnight parking at 11 car parks starting 1 April, aiming to address concerns such as littering and anti-social behaviour.
However, both local residents and visitors voiced concerns about the ban. Among them was a guesthouse owner in Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, who reported that issues with camper vans parking in residential streets and people using private gardens as toilets had intensified since the ban's introduction.
The ban was paused during the ENPA's annual general meeting, where members agreed to lift the restriction temporarily while further consultations are conducted.
Nearly four million visitors come to Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia, each year. Many start their ascent of the park's highest peak, Yr Wyddfa, during the early morning hours to reach the summit by sunrise.
In April, local residents expressed concerns to the BBC that the ban might lead to increased parking in residential streets. Additionally, a local guide feared the ban could negatively affect her business.
Richard Edwards, owner of the Courthouse guesthouse in Betws-y-Coed, explained that residents in his street were accustomed to some anti-social behaviour from camper van owners, but that the overnight parking ban had exacerbated these problems in recent weeks.
"This is one of the very few roads in Betws-y-Coed where parking is not restricted,"he said.
"So it's always been a magnet for camper van owners, as well as visitors and their cars – even though there is a caravan park about 300 yards down the road."
Edwards noted that tourists continued to bring camper vans and park outside residential properties on his street.
"They restrict access because sometimes they park on the pavement,"he said.
"Secondly, they leave their rubbish behind, sometimes in peoples' gardens, frequently in our car parks. And they even relieve themselves in our gardens and car parks.
"And since the ban on parking in the overnight car parks, it has got a lot worse."
Mr Edwards welcomed the decision to pause the ban but expressed uncertainty about what the pause entailed.
"I'm not quite sure what pause means. I think the ban should be rescinded totally so that camper van owners can safely and legally park."
Visitor Perspectives on Overnight Parking
Daisy Drew, 27, from Norfolk, arrived in Betws-y-Coed with her fiancee Simon Flaherty, 31, on Tuesday. The couple were spending the last days of their stay in north Wales travelling in their camper van without a fixed itinerary.
She was unaware that overnight parking was prohibited in the village's long-stay car park and described the inability to pay to stay in empty or quiet sites as "a bit daft."
"Sometimes it just doesn't look nice and it gets crowded,"she said.
"And the thought of being in the way - I'd rather be a bit more respectful and go somewhere that's more fitting for us.
"But I do see why people do it. When there's no other option there's nothing else you can do, so if we have to, we would, but it's not my first option."
Authority Report and Recommendations
Prior to the ENPA's annual general meeting, a report from the chief executive recommended pausing the revision of car park operational hours at most sites to fully assess the impact on users.
The report identified issues associated with overnight camping, including litter, waste, anti-social behaviour, and the lack of support for existing legitimate caravan and camping sites in the local area.
"The authority is committed to finding a solution to this problem, although it is not straightforward,"the report stated.
Under the ban, parking was prohibited between 22:00 and 03:00 at nine sites, and between 22:00 and 06:00 at Llyn Tegid and Llangywer.
The report proposed introducing parking restrictions at Llyn Tegid and Llangywer between 01:00 and 03:00 as part of a potential pilot scheme, a recommendation approved at the meeting.
"The main reason for this is that night-time parking use at these car parks is not considered essential to the general enjoyment of the national park...the main use of these car parks is daytime access to Llyn Tegid and the surrounding area,"the report explained.
It also recommended further consultations with various organisations and national park users before revisiting the issue at the end of the year or in early 2027.
"It is unlikely there will be a single or quick solution, but we will ensure a joined approach and if a full solution cannot be found then further mitigation of the problem will be explored,"the report concluded.
Authority Members Call for Urgent Action
During the meeting, members emphasized the need for greater urgency in developing proposals to address the increasing problem of camper van and motorhome owners parking overnight for free in areas lacking facilities.
A report is scheduled for presentation to authority members in September, with officers set to provide an update on the effectiveness of overnight restrictions in the Llyn Tegid car parks at a meeting on 9 December.
Local Business Concerns
Andy Jones, a businessman in Betws-y-Coed who owns the outdoor mountaineering company Seren Ventures, expressed concern that the overnight parking ban could deter tourists.
"Other providers, like myself, they've seen a slight decline in business, because of the ban,"he said.
"First and foremost, by banning something it doesn't necessarily make it go away. Instead of banning, work with what we've got.
"Build aires [dedicated spaces for motor homes], build facilities, or allow people who've got land to allow access."
"Banning overnight parking is not good for the area because it'll just drive tourism away."
