Ban on overnight parking in national park paused after 'anti-social behaviour got worse'

Overnight parking will be allowed again in nine car parks in Wales' biggest national park - two months after it was banned.

Eryri National Park Authority (ENPA) had restricted overnight parking at 11 car parks since 1 April, to try and address problems like litter and anti-social behaviour.

But locals and visitors raised concerns over the move, including one guesthouse owner in Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, who said problems with camper vans parking in his street and people using gardens as toilets had worsened since it was introduced.

The ban was paused at the ENPA's annual general meeting, where members accepted a recommendation to lift the restriction while further consultations are carried out.

Nearly four million people visit Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia, each year. Many begin the hike up to its highest peak - Yr Wyddfa - during the early hours of the morning to reach the top by sunrise.

In April, local people told the BBC they feared the ban would encourage parking in residential streets, while a local guide feared an impact on her business.

Richard Edwards, who owns the Courthouse guesthouse in Betws-y-Coed, said residents in his street were used to anti-social behaviour from camper van owners, but the overnight parking ban had made problems worse during 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 said tourists still brought their camper vans and parked outside properties on the 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 pausing of the ban, but added: "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 I think the ban should be rescinded totally so that camper van owners can safely and legally park."

Daisy Drew, 27, from Norfolk, arrived in Betws-y-Coed with her fiancee Simon Flaherty, 31, on Tuesday. She said the couple were "winging" the last days of their stay in north Wales in their camper van.

She was unaware parking overnight was banned in the village's long-stay car park, and said not allowing campers to pay to stay in empty or quiet sites seemed "a bit daft".

She said the couple were not fans of parking in streets and would look for somewhere to stay.

"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."

Ahead of the ENPA's AGM, a report by the chief executive concluded it was "necessary to pause the revision of car park operational hours on most of our sites to fully consider the consequences for users".

It added that issues from overnight camping included those related to litter, waste and anti-social behaviour, as well as "not supporting existing legitimate caravan and camping sites operating in the local area".

"The authority is committed to finding a solution to this problem, although it is not straightforward," said the report.

Under the ban, parking was not allowed between 22:00 BST and 03:00 at nine of the sites, and between 22:00 and 06:00 at Llyn Tegid and Llangywer.

The report recommended introducing parking restrictions at Llyn Tegid and Llangywer between 01:00 and 03:00 as part of a potential pilot scheme - a move which was approved at Wednesday's 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 said.

The report also said further consultations should be held "with various organisations and national park users" before the issue is considered again 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," it concluded.

During Wednesday's meeting, members made it clear that they wanted to see greater urgency in drawing up proposals in how to deal with the growing issue of camper van and motorhome owners parking overnight for free in areas where there are no facilities for them.

A paper is now due to be presented to authority members in September, and officers will report to a meeting on 9 December with details of how the overnight restrictions in the Llyn Tegid car parks have worked in practice.

Betws-y-Coed businessman Andy Jones, who owns outdoor mountaineering firm Seren Ventures, said the overnight parking ban risked driving tourists away.

"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."

He said banning overnight parking is not good for the area "because it'll just drive tourism away".