Yr Wyddfa and Ogwen Parking and Transport Review: Next Steps

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YR WYDDFA PARTNERSHIP

CONSULTATION DOCUMENT

Partneriaeth Yr Wyddfa Snowdon Partnership Contents Introduction 3 Consultation 5 Have Your Say 6 Project Overview 8 The Sustainable Tourism Approach 10 Priorities for Improvement 12 Gateway Communities 17 Introduction 3

Yr Wyddfa Partnership with the support of Transport for Wales has developed a draft strategy to help improve access and connectivity in the Yr Wyddfa and Ogwen areas of Snowdonia National Park.

We want local communities to shape that strategy and help us plan and deliver improvements to the important issues of parking, public transport, walking and cycling routes.

The overall Vision is based on the recommendations made in the Parking and Transport Review by Martin Higgitt Associates carried out in 2020, which sets out potential solutions to the parking, traffic congestion, pollution and noise issues in the most sensitive inner area of Snowdonia National Park.

Yr Wyddfa and Ogwen Area

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2020 4

Parking Issues

In response to an urgent need to address and manage car parking issues within the National Park, we will be rolling out a new pre-booking parking system at Pen-y-Pass car park.

The booking system will be supported by clear messaging to advise the public of parking arrangements at Pen-y-Pass and where other parking is available.

The intention is that this will help drivers to make better decisions about where to park.

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We will be undertaking a rolling programme of engagement and consultation on the strategy and plans to develop the long-term Vision.

Initially, we are undertaking a five-week consultation from Monday 1 February to Sunday 7 March 2021 to find out local views and ideas about the potential solutions.

We want to hear from residents, businesses and special interest groups from across the region about how we move forward to start delivering change and improvement.

We have identified four main priorities for improvement:

• Parking • Passenger transport and interchange • Walking and cycling routes • New local services and amenities

Four communities were identified in the Yr Wyddfa and Ogwen Transport and Parking Review as potential ‘gateways’ to the most sensitive inner area of the Snowdonia National Park - Llanberis, Betws-y-Coed, Beddgelert and Bethesda.

As part of this consultation, we are seeking feedback on the main priorities for improvement from these communities about their potential role as gateways to the National Park.

This document gives an overview of the sustainable tourism approach suggested in the Parking and Transport Review and summarises the main priorities for improvements identified.

It explains how local residents, businesses and stakeholders can get involved and help shape the vision and plans moving forward. ©APCE_SNPA Have Your Say 6

The consultation will run between All responses must be received by Monday 1 February and 11.59pm on Sunday 7 March 2021. Sunday 7 March 2021.

There are a number of ways you can comment during the consultation period:

Attend an Online Community Workshop

Wednesday 24 February Llanberis 18:30 to 20:30 Thursday 25 February Betws-y-Coed 18:30 to 20:30 Tuesday 2 March Beddgelert 18:30 to 20:30 Wednesday 3 March Bethesda 18:30 to 20:30

Book your place at www.snowdonpartnership.co.uk/parkingandtransport

These two-hour workshops will be held on Zoom. To help organise the workshops, we would appreciate it if you can sign up by Tuesday 16 February 2021.

Complete the Online Survey

The survey questions are highlighted throughout this consultation document and can be completed online at www.snowdonpartnership.co.uk/parkingandtransport

By Email By Post [email protected] Download or request a printed copy of the survey and return to the Freepost address: By Phone Freepost GRASSHOPPER CONSULT (no further address or stamp required) 01286 875860 7 Accessibility

Large print, braille and alternative language versions of this document are available on request (see contact details on page 6).

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

We take data protection seriously and all data stored will be processed in accordance with data protection legislation.

Please only provide your personal details if you are willing for them to be used by Grasshopper Communications Limited / Jacobs and the project team at Yr Wyddfa Partnership and Transport for Wales for the purpose of research in connection with this project and in order to update you on the progress of the sustainable tourism strategy.

All comments received may be anonymised and used for the purposes of this project. Your details will be treated as confidential and will not be shared, passed on or used by any third parties and they will only be retained until the end of the project, after which time they will be deleted.

If you wish to withdraw consent to the processing of your personal data, you may do so by emailing: [email protected].

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Current over-reliance on cars to access popular sites within the heart of Snowdonia and chronic parking problems at busy times of the year is hampering the Snowdonia National Park’s core purposes of protecting the landscape, promoting understanding and enjoyment of the area, and supporting the economic and social well-being of local communities.

The Yr Wyddfa Partnership is committed to protecting the mountain and the surrounding area, whilst making the special landscape more accessible to non-car-based visitors and enabling people arriving by car to access the area and its attractions by alternative means.

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A review of transport and parking issues affecting Yr Wyddfa and Ogwen, commissioned by the Yr Wyddfa Partnership over the last 12 months, concluded that:

• The landscape, environment and biodiversity are being seriously impacted by transport and parking issues in terms of visual blight, physical damage, litter pollution, congestion, noise, emissions and erosion. • Local communities suffer significant disruption due to parking problems and traffic congestion that impact their working and leisure activities, while inconsiderate tourist behaviour creates tension between locals and visitors. • The local economy struggles with the seasonal nature of visitor numbers, which are high in summer and low in winter, making it challenging for businesses to be viable throughout the year. • Many visitors have a poor experience due to their limited knowledge of the different routes on Yr Wyddfa, and of public transport access. They find car parks full and then exacerbate congestion in the inner area often parking inappropriately on the highway, creating risks for other road users, local residents and the visitors themselves, in addition to receiving parking fines.

The review, together with feedback from preliminary consultations show that there is a clear consensus that ‘doing nothing is not an option’.

The recommendations in the Yr Wyddfa and Ogwen Transport and Parking Review sets out potential solutions to parking, traffic congestion, pollution and noise issues in the most sensitive inner area of the Snowdonia National Park.

The report sets out a Vision for Yr Wyddfa and Ogwen, and Snowdonia/North Wales, to become a sustainable tourism exemplar and proposes an ambitious new sustainable tourism approach that begins by addressing the over-reliance on cars and the parking problem.

The report identifies significant roles and requirements for the four gateway communities concerning parking provision, the operation of a shuttle bus network and the development of additional visitor facilities. The Sustainable Tourism Approach 10

The Vision is to provide a world class sustainable tourism offer that allows visitors to enjoy the area in a way that protects the landscape and contributes positively to communities and the local economy.

Visitors will be provided with high quality, affordable and accessible low carbon transport services, and excellent information that will enhance their visit whilst reducing their impact on the protected landscape. This will encourage them to stay longer and explore more widely, taking pressure off ‘honeypot’ sites.

Communities will benefit by seeing a reduction in car parking and traffic pressure, an improvement in transport services and investment in community facilities.

The local economy and tourism businesses will benefit by capturing more visitor spend in the area, with visitors staying longer and increasing visitor numbers in the months between high and low season, together with a more diverse visitor base.

QUESTION 1:

Sustainable Tourism To what extent do you Approach support the principles of the sustainable tourism approach?

Visitor Experience

Reduced Traffic / Parking Probs More Visitor Spend Captured Improved Transport & Access Season Extended Landscape

Local Residents & Economy Communities & Tourism More Employment Businesses and More Secure Jobs 11

Supporting Recovery Post Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on lives and businesses across the UK. It has put into sharp focus the importance of tourism to the area and has shown the need to manage visitor access to the designated landscape. It has also provided a glimpse of benefits to the landscape and to communities of reducing traffic and parking pressure on the inner area.

The proposed sustainable tourism approach shows a way in which visitor access to the area can be managed better in the future for the benefit of the landscape, communities, businesses and visitors. It provides an ambition and justification for investment to help local communities and the economy.

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To deliver the Vision and address issues in the local area, we would like your views around four priorities for improvement - parking, passenger transport, walking and cycling, and new local services and amenities - in the gateway communities.

Parking QUESTION 2: Parking will be addressed in the inner area in order to reduce the impact of inappropriate parking on the Do you have any landscape and on traffic safety, to support the viability of suggestions of where sustainable transport solutions, and to develop new norms additional parking of accessing the area. could be provided in the gateway The proposed solutions are as follows: communities or wider area? • Reducing parking availability and improving parking management/enforcement in the ‘inner area’. QUESTION 3: • Exploring opportunities for new/expanded car parks Are there any other at gateway communities and/or at strategic Park & parking-related issues Ride locations on approaches to the area. that you want to see • Introducing new parking tariffs. addressed through this strategy? • Improving information and communications. • Providing electric vehicle charging infrastructure. • Improved on-street parking management and residents’ parking in the gateway communities. • Managing the inner area parking through special permits or pre-booking only during the high season. 13

Parking Issues

A pre-booking system was piloted by Snowdonia National Park Authority for the last three weekends of August 2020 using the Eventbrite platform.

The trial was successful and received positive feedback from users who appreciated the stress-free benefits of pre-booking when arriving at their destination. A bespoke and tailored permanent system is now being developed for Pen-y-Pass car park.

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Passenger Transport and Interchange QUESTION 4: There are opportunities to change social norms so that people no longer expect to drive directly to, and park in Do you use the local the inner area. The area will be strongly marketed as a bus services? If so, sustainable tourism destination, with a clear message that which services and the area is accessible without a car and that, once you are how often? If not, what there, car-free travel is possible. would encourage you to use the local bus Gateway communities will be developed as primary service? interchange locations with multi-modal hubs close to the village centre and good links to the walking and cycling QUESTION 5: network. The hubs may have a range of facilities including toilets, waiting area, left luggage lockers, refreshments, Do you have any wi-fi, seating, cycle shop/hire, good quality bus stops with suggestions where a real time visitor, travel information and orientation and transport interchange emergency help point/first aid. could be located for the gateway communities? To do this effectively, the strategy aims to: QUESTION 6: • Provide opportunities to arrive by public transport or car at gateway sites and change onto frequent, Which of the potential low-cost, or free buses to access local attractions interchange services and the inner area. and amenities do • Provide a zero-carbon shuttle bus fleet. you think are most desirable and are there • Improve connections with rail and long-distance bus any others that should and coach services. be considered? • Develop ‘demand responsive transport’ services from other origins (e.g. for visitors coming from holiday accommodation in the surrounding area). • Provide a “Visitor Access Pass” that gives visitors easy access to the range of public transport and other services. 15 QUESTION 7: Walking and Cycling We want to improve opportunities for walking and cycling What improvements for residents and visitors alike, providing accessible routes could be made to around the villages for people with reduced mobility and encourage walking and providing attractive ideas and itineraries for visitors to cycling in the gateway explore other parts of the area. communities? We want to support this by: QUESTION 8: • Enhancing information and way-marking of routes in Do you have any gateway communities. ideas for improving • Providing bike/e-bike hire from gateway or developing leisure communities and tourism attractions. walking/cycling routes for all users, including • Offering bike/e-bike loans to residents. people with reduced • Improving walking and cycling links to public mobility? transport hubs in the gateway communities.

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New Local Services and Amenities QUESTION 9:

Developing the sustainable tourism approach gives How much value to opportunities to provide additional services and new the visitor offer do you business opportunities that will further support the local think the identified economy and bring added benefits to local communities, services will add to such as tour guiding, baggage transfer and pick-up/drop- each of the gateway off. communities?

Subject to financial resources, a small funding stream is QUESTION 10: being explored to support enhancements to community / visitor amenities. This could be things like improvements What enhancements to parks and play areas, improvements to the street scene, to community/visitor public art, new public toilets, support for community amenities would events, support for new tourism ventures and community you like to see in the energy projects. gateway communities? Gateway Communities 17

Four gateway communities have been identified as the locations where most people access to reach the inner area of the National Park, namely: Llanberis, Betws-y-Coed, Beddgelert and Bethesda.

Key information about each gateway community, the main issues raised during the early consultation and potential opportunities are summarised in this section.

Llanberis, the largest community in the area, is a primary location and destination for visitors. It has approximately one third of the total bed-spaces available in the gateway communities as well as a range of retail, restaurants, bars, and outdoor shops.

The village hosts major attractions including Electric Mountain, the National Slate Museum and Llyn Padarn Country Park. It is estimated that 35% of visitors arrive via approaches to Llanberis and there are 1,400 car parking spaces in public and private car parks.

Key feedback from the early engagement:

• Parking problems in the village and in residential areas. • Use of temporary parking areas. • Issues of camper vans parking and staying illegally over the summer.

The village has a range of accommodation and a retail offer strongly orientated around visitors. It has approximately half the total bed-spaces available in the gateway communities as well as several restaurants, bars and outdoor shops. The village sits in the heart of the Gwydir Forest and is just south of Zip World Forest and Aber Conwy Valley.

Given its strategic location (where the A5 and A470 converge), it is estimated that 37% of visitors arrive via approaches to Betws-y-Coed and there are 702 car parking spaces available in public and private car parks.

Key feedback from the early engagement:

• Potential opportunities for new parking locations and/or enhancement of long-stay car park or creating an alternative Park & Ride at Llanrwst. • Concerns about whether there is any space for new car parks, particularly as development on green-spaces is not favoured. • Concerns about visitors being taken straight away from the area by a Park & Ride system rather than spending within the village. • Potential conflicts between those who cater for tourists and those that do not.

Beddgelert has approximately one sixth of the total bed-spaces available in the gateway communities. Nearby attractions include Beddgelert Forest, Sygun Copper Mines and Nant Gwynant valley. It is estimated that 18% of visitors arrive via approaches to Beddgelert and there are 192 car parking spaces in public and private car parks.

Key feedback from the early engagement:

• Concerns whether there is any space for additional parking. • Over-reliance on day visitors and self-catering. • Lack of serviced accommodation having a negative impact on the viability and availability of business evening offering. • Beddgelert Forest is an underused resource. • Concerns about flooding in the area.

Bethesda is a traditional quarry town. It is currently not strongly orientated towards visitors and has limited tourist accommodation. There is a range of cafes, restaurants, and bars, as well as a community theatre.

Nearby attractions include Zip World, Penrhyn Quarry with 90,000 visitors per annum, many of whom pass through the town. It is estimated that 10% of visitors arrive via approaches to Bethesda and there are 131 car parking spaces in public and private car parks.

Key feedback from the early engagement:

• Several pioneering projects and ideas already in existence for development of a sustainable tourism model. • Local community energy schemes are keen to be involved. • Potential new car parking sites within walking distance of the High Street. • Any new Park & Ride should to be accessible by foot to other amenities. • Active community groups and partnership in the town.

End of Consultation

The closing date for comments is 12:59pm, Sunday 7 March 2021.

Please ensure you have submitted your feedback by this date.

We will carefully consider all feedback and use it to inform our vision and strategy.

We will share a summary of our findings and next steps in Spring 2021.