Locals say traffic to famous North Wales beach blights villages but they see no benefits
Residents blighted by traffic to a popular Anglesey beach have launched a petition to get free parking at the site. They claim they have been left out in the cold while concessions are given to neighbouring villages suffering less congestion.
People living in Brynsiencyn and Llanfairpwll fear poorer villagers are being excluded from Traeth Llanddwyn following the parking charges and subsequent fee increases. The beach and its tidal island are social media favourites and visitor numbers have soared in recent years – and some locals claim they are being pushed aside in favour of holidaymakers.
Worst affected by traffic congestion are residents in nearby Newborough, which often grinds to a halt during summer weekends. To appease locals, site manager Natural Resources Wales (NRW) issues residents’ passes giving free parking in Newborough Forest, which backs onto the beach.
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As well as Newborough, this concession is also available to residents in Dwyran, Llangaffo and Malltraeth – three villages on entry routes to the beach. But with many visitors arriving over the A55 Britannia Bridge, and heading to Llanddwyn via the A4080, Llanfairpwll and Brynsiencyn are, like Dwyran, in the main firing line.
The Change.org petition insists people have a right to use their local beach. It said: “Since Brynsiencyn receives most of the traffic going through to Llanddwyn beach but absolutely no reward, we should be granted free parking at the site by NRW.
“Many of the poorest residents of the village cannot justify the costs of up to £3.60 to visit a natural heritage site which should belong to the people who inhabit the surrounding areas. This also means that most of the visitors of Llanddwyn beach, of whom can actually afford it, are holidaymakers.
“This is wrong and means that local people from Brynsiencyn and Llanfairpwll are not being placed at the heart of the community by NRW. We are not valued or prioritised - despite compromising the peacefulness of our high street to allow those wishing to visit Llanddwyn beach the opportunity to pass through.” Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
Parking charges in Newborough National National Reserve apply to three of its seven car parks. As well as the main Beach parking area, two on the access road to this car park – Airman’s and Cwningar – also have charges. The others are free but lie some distance from Traeth Llanddwyn.
Charges depend on the length of parking. It’s £2 for the first two hours and 40p for every additional 20 minutes, with a maximum charge of £7 per day. Payments are controlled via an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera at the entrance barrier. Parking at these three sites is free for Blue Badge holders.
Season tickets are available and are pitched at regular users. Prices have risen to £70 per year but residents of Anglesey not eligible for free parking can get these at half price. Two vehicles registered at the same address can be included on one season ticket, which can also be used for parking at Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre, Gwynedd. People can get them by paying by card at the kiosk at the car park entrance barrier.
Despite the charges, Llanddwyn’s car parks often fill quickly and visitors are left to queue or turn around. Summer gridlock in Newborough is a long-running issue and measures implemented so far have had limited effect.
Earlier this year the community was canvassed for solutions at two “hackathons”. These yielded plenty of ideas, from boat taxis, cable cars and early warning matrix signs and NRW is still examining them while seeking funding for promised action. The ideas put forward can be found here.
For those living nearby, a principle is at stake. “Having locals paying for something on their doorstep is outrageous,” said a Bangor man.
So far the petition has collected 68 signatures and its organiser is urging others to follow suit. She added: “If we do not act now, Llanddwyn beach will not be readily available to a majority of our community here in Brynsiencyn, and will be reserved for more affluent residents and holidaymakers.
"Our residents will forever be neglected and there is a likelihood we would probably be excluded from other local, natural beauty sites in the future.” Get the best island stories from our Anglesey newsletter - sent every Friday
The petition can be found here. NRW has been approached for a comment. The environmental body is preparing an action plan for the beach and it will continue operating edge-of-village traffic management at busy times. More parking details for Newborough National Nature Reserve can be found here.
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