Locals living by a popular beauty spot are hitting back at tourists who clog up roads and ‘poo’ on their driveways. Hundreds of people are parking their cars at Dinorwic quarry, a lovely place at the foot of Snowdon, and it’s causing trouble for nearby residents.
A video taken on Saturday, March 30, shows cars parked all over the two-way road, making it hard for other vehicles to get past.
One local said that this parking problem often traps them in or out of their homes, adding they are also worried about emergency service vehicles not being able to get through.
The local described the situation as “chaos”. They said visitors leave behind litter and even human waste, and they don’t think enough is being done to fix the problem.
The local, who didn’t want to give their name, told WalesOnline: “The quarry is a UNESCO world heritage site and is becoming popular fast.”
They added: “Residents are getting blocked out or in their own homes due to inconsiderate parking, therefore also blocking out emergency vehicles. Litter, including human faeces are left behind. A memorial for the dead workers of the quarry is parked on, eaten on [and] sat on. Elderly residents are afraid of leaving the house after one was [previously] clipped by a car. Multiple pleas to the council over the years have led to no action.”
Local councillor Elfed Williams shared that he brought up local worries to the council about four years ago, which led to the suggestion of yellow lines and a new car park. But, he said in his 12 years as a councillor, he’s never seen so many objections.
He said: “[The following week] we had more than 200 people objecting to the double yellow lines. A lot of them lived near to where the problem is. I have never seen so many complaints about double yellow lines. They didn’t want a car park there either in case it increased the problem. That’s where we are with this.”
A spokesperson for Gwynedd Council asked visitors to keep roads clear and follow parking rules. Even though a plan to better parking in the area was objected to, the council said it was working on a trial project to stop motorhomes from parking overnight in places where irresponsible camping has been a problem.
The spokesperson said: “Over recent years, we have seen high numbers of people visiting popular spots here in Gwynedd, and we encourage people to plan their visit and activities in advance. We ask motorists to respect the parking restrictions and keep the roads clear and safe, and our parking enforcement officers patrol communities across the county and enforce the parking restrictions that are in place.”
He said: “Following concerns raised in the past regarding parking issues in the Allt Ddu area, the council has consulted on introducing specific parking restrictions at this location. But, due to a number of objections raised, we will not be proceeding with restrictions at present.”
“The council is leading on a pilot project to introduce specific orders that will prevent the right of motorhomes to park overnight in lay-bys in specific locations that have seen examples of irresponsible parking and camping over the past few years. We will be monitoring this pilot and considering whether it may be a suitable option in other locations. Our message to those visiting Gwynedd in motorhomes and campervans is to ensure that they camp legally and support businesses by using local campsites.”
“In addition, as part of efforts to ensure better management of motorhomes and campervans in the area, the council is developing ‘Arosfan’ sites which will offer an overnight location to motorhomes and campervans similar to ‘aires’. The first site at Cricieth has opened and other Arosfan sites in other areas of the county are due to open soon.”
