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Problem parkers face being towed from beauty spot

Geraint Jones congested area with parked vehicles near siteGeraint Jones
The B4403 is narrow, with concerns that emergency vehicles have struggled to reach parts of the community due to cars and campervans parking along the road

Visitors to a north Wales beauty spot could be fined or have their vehicles towed after a council approved measures to remove problem parkers.

Concerns had been raised by Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, National Park and members of Llangywer Community Council about the number of vehicles parked along the eastern shore of Llyn Tegid in Gwynedd, on the verge of the B4403 between Llanuwchllyn and Bala.

They said emergency vehicles had been blocked by the large number of parked cars and "stream of campervans".

On Monday, the county council's planning committee approved the introduction of a clearway order, which would ban drivers from parking there for any reason other than an emergency.

The Cyngor Gwynedd report stated "inconsiderate parking can lead to serious traffic problems for local residents" and that during busy times the "road is completely blocked by traffic that cannot move backwards or forwards".

The chairman of Llangywer Community Council told BBC Wales the problem was "as bad as those scenes near Llyn Ogwen and Llanberis in the past".

Llyn Tegid
The beauty spot of Llyn Tegid attracts many tourists, but visitors are being accused of problem parking

"As residents we have to put up with a lot, we understand why people want to come and visit the Welsh countryside, it's a nice place to be", councillor Clwyd Davies said.

"But there is no control or policing of the situation and it can be really bad.

"Establishing the clearway is one way forward but also gives us the tools to do something about it."

He added the road was "very narrow" but the problem had worsened over time.

"The campervans are the biggest problem, people parking on the side of the road, which is dangerous and leaving a mess behind.

"Its hard enough for emergency services to reach us in rural areas as it is.

"Certainly it was at its worst during the lockdown period, and many discovered Llangywer during that time.

"But this is basically a local road, it's not suitable for all the traffic and certainly something has to be done."

Cyngor Gwynedd Map of the proposed orderCyngor Gwynedd
The clearway order would be implemented along the B4403 which runs along the eastern bank of Llyn Tegid, between Bala and Llanuwchllyn

According to the report, which recommended establishing the clearway order along the length of the B4403, it would not impact the number of walkers using the road.

But despite being supported by the community council, one letter of objection described the plans as "extreme".

"This order appears to be taking extreme action for what is a reasonably precise problem around the area of Llangower during peak holiday season."