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Price hike for 'highest' car park Price hike for 'highest' car park
(about 5 hours later)
The price of parking at the highest car park within the Snowdonia National Park could rise from £6 to £8 this year, and then £10 in 2011. It will cost £10 to park at the highest car park within the Snowdonia National Park from April this year.
National park members will discuss the proposed changes at Snowdon's Pen y Pass car park on Wednesday. It currently costs £6 to park for the day at Pen y Pass, a popular location to start off on the Miners and Pyg tracks up Snowdon.
A report states cafe and toilets need to be improved to give an "appropriate welcome at such an important site". The park has no statutory powers to enforce payment, but says most people pay when they hear the cash is used to improve the car park and cafe.
Climbers and walkers say the charges are too high and might cause congestion as drivers try to park elsewhere. National park members decided on the hike during their meeting on Wednesday.
The report, before national park members, notes the facilities at the site, which is 360m (1,180ft) above sea level, are "badly in need of improvement". The recommendation had been to increase charges this April to £8 a day, and £4 for up to four hours, with the higher charges coming into force in April 2011.
'Free up finance' 'Too low'
Some improvement works are being paid for from within existing budgets, but the report states the park authority needs to generate match funding to "generate more income to relieve pressure on budgets and free up finance". Councillor Huw Hughes told the meeting: "I went with a delegation from the Cairngorms National Park to the Pen y Pass car park recently and they all said that the £6 was far too low."
If the changes are given the backing of members it will cost £8 (full day) and £4 (up to 4 hours) to park from 1 April 2010 - with an estimated rise in income of £11,174. This was backed by Councillor Alwyn Gruffydd who said: "No-one goes to Snowdon on their own.
The charge will then rise to £10 per day, and £5 for up to four hours, in 2011. "If there are two people in a car it is £5 each, and if there are four people leaving their car there to climb Snowdon, then there is only £2.50 each... put the charges up this April," he added.
Graham Davies, who regularly climbs in Snowdonia, said the rise in charges was "not really justified from a layman's point of view". The park's vice-chairman, Dr Iolo Ap Gwynn agreed with the increases, but said he felt there should be a nominal charge of £2 to attract passing motorists to the Pen y Pass cafe nearby.
"I think it could cause a problem of over-flow lower down, especially on the Capel Curig side. Park chief executive Aneurin Phillips said there was more than parking involved in the charge.
Economic climate Visitors
"I already park there and then walk up to Pen y Pass which adds another 15-20 minutes for me," he said. He said there were toilets, cafe, bus interchange and indoor waiting rooms and a warden service available.
"Maybe more people will do this when the price goes up, although if you are coming from Llanberis there is a car park in Nant Peris which costs about £4 and includes a ticket for the Sherpa bus (to Pen y Pass)." Dennis AcAteer said the the park had to be clear as it explained that the increase in charges was not a way to increase income from people visiting the area.
A walker, who did not wish to be named, said he already thought car parking was costing too much. "We have provided additional facilities for the disabled, including an all purpose path," he said.
He asked where the money currently raised by car parking charges was being spent. "Will we charge the disabled £10 for parking for a short time?" he added.
"Normally what we try and do is persuade someone to drop us off, or we use another car park and another path up Snowdon," he said. There was also concern that some families would find the price rise too much.
"This (rise) isn't justified in the current economic climate... they have a gold mine here, and people will use it come hell-or-high-water," he added. The committee voted 13 to two for the £10 parking charges from 1 April this year.
Despite the vote the park authority has no power to enforce the parking charges.
"Notes are placed on the vehicles of people who do not pay with information about what the money is used for.
"Very, very few motorists do not pay," said planning officer John Ablitt.
"In fact the response from the notes we place on vehicles without tickets results in almost everyone paying up, and some give us extra.
"One motorist felt it was better than imposing parking fines, and it is good PR," he added.