Parking cameras and burger vans coming to Welsh beauty spots

Parking cameras are to be installed at three Welsh visitor centres when they close next spring. Over time, barrierless car parking systems will also be deployed at other beauty spot sites managed by Natural Resource Wales (NRW).

The use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras by private operators will enable some parking revenues to be retained at NRW visitor centres when they close on March 31, 2025. The environment body may allow this income to be transferred to visitor centre tenants when new partnerships are agreed.

Public meetings were held this week to discuss the closure of visitor centres at Coed y Brenin in Gwynedd, and Ynyslas and Bwlch Nant yr Arian in Ceredigion. At all three events, residents voiced frustration that alternative site operators will not be considered until after the centres have shut.

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Mountain biking trails at Coed-y-Brenin will remain open and maintained, NRW has said. Red kite feeding will continue at Bwlch Nant yr Arian, and car parks and toilets will be stay open at all three sites. However concerns remain over the economic impact of visitor centre closures at sites that attract tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Retail and catering facilities will stop at the three sites next April despite the willingness of community groups willing to take them on. NRW aims to launch a tendering process once the centres close but critics fear long delays before any hand-overs take place. Community group Caru Coed y Brenin said the decision to mothball the centres was “crazy”.

The public meetings were told that alternative provision could be used to bridge the gap until new tenders are agreed. These could include mobile services such as burger vans and coffee carts. Ice cream and burger vans already operate at popular NRW sites such at Newborough Forest, Anglesey.

Writing online, Ceredigion MS Elin Jones said she will be urging NRW to move forward its tendering process so that new providers can be installed by April. She added: “I don’t understand the logic by NRW of doing nothing until the centres have closed. It makes no sense. A potential mothball is the worst possible option.” Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community

Parking cameras are due to be installed at two visitor centre sites before they shut. At Ynyslas visitor centre, on the coastal Dyfi National Nature Reserve, there’s likely to be a delay, as this will mean installing equipment on a beach next to Afon Leri: currently, an NRW-employed beach parking attendant takes payment by cash or card.

An NRW spokesperson said: “In the short-term at Ynyslas, before any potential new system is introduced, we will look to engage temporary cover to take car park payments.”

At present, very few NRW sites have APNR cameras. A barrier-controlled system is in place at Newborough Forest but exiting visitors have complained of long hold-ups and the occasional stuck barrier. NRW is now looking to introduce barrierless set-ups at other locations where it operates car parks.

A spokesperson said that, where possible, pay and display facilities will also be provided. They added: “We are looking at introducing a barrierless Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) car parking system at our visitor centres next year.

“The new system would allow app management of car park payments and manage season tickets and registration for local users. Pay and display machines would still be available at sites where it is feasible, for customers who prefer this method. Barrierless systems allow easy access for emergency vehicles and will reduce the technical issues we have experienced with our current system.

“As part of the upcoming public tender process to look for partners for the sites we will consider the possibility of transferring car park management and income over to a new tenant.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox

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