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New parking measures to tackle beach gridlock

George Herd
BBC News
Getty Images Image shows rocky terrain and a sandy beach in the foreground. A small island in the background, topped with a lighthouse and an adjacent building. The island is surrounded by the sea, with mountains visible in the distance. The sky is mix of blue sky and some clouds above the mountain's on the horizon.Getty Images
Llanddwyn beach has seen its popularity surge in recent times

Visitors to a beach featured in the hit TV show House of the Dragon will face new parking restrictions in a bid to halt gridlock.

Ticket prices are set to rise, while the main car parks for those heading to Llanddwyn beach on Anglesey could be closed off from mid-morning.

National Resources Wales (NRW), which manages the beach and forest nature reserve, said it was in response to ongoing problems in the nearby village of Newborough.

Residents there have held public protests over the level of congestion as more and more people flock to the beach.

The main route to the beach car park means vehicles have to pass through the village on a narrow road to reach the beach.

At peak times, such as summer and public holidays, it has led to long queues of traffic.

For the road down to the beach - Church Street - it can leave residents there unable to get in or out from their own homes for hours on end.

The image shows a middle-aged bald man standing outdoors on a street on a sunny day. He is wearing a blue polo shirt and looking straight at the camera. Buildings and trees visible in the background.
Queues of cars can leave those living on the narrow streets of Newborough unable to get out and about for hours on end, says the area's councillor John Ifan Jones

"The people who live on Church Street, there are so many houses there, and they basically have to plan their day around the visitors that come to the area - which isn't right at all," said the county councillor for the area, John Ifan Jones.

From Friday a fresh attempt to address the issues was being tested.

Parking at the main beach car parks will rise to £5 for two hours, and then a further 70p for every additional 20 minutes - up to a maximum of £15 a day.

In addition, there will be a trial over the bank holiday weekend, closing access to the car parks on Saturday, Sunday and Monday as they become full.

The car parks will shut to new vehicles entering until 16:30 BST each day.

Getty Images The foreground of the image features a wide sandy beach, with footprints scattered across the surface, suggesting recent visitors. On the left side, there are low sand dunes topped with sparse vegetation and a few trees. To the right, the calm sea gently laps against the shore with small waves. The sky is mostly clear blue, with scattered white clouds and some wispy streaks stretching across it. In the distance, mountains rise up, partially shrouded in clouds, adding depth to the landscape.Getty Images
The beach and its forest and dunes are managed by Natural Resources Wales

"The trial will stop vehicles accessing the site once the car park becomes full," explained Richard Berry, the NRW land management team leader for the region.

"Even as cars leave the site and spaces become available no vehicular access will be allowed until after 16.30.

"We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available."

NRW warned that could see the car parks closed from as early as 11:00 during the trial, and said prospective visitors should consider venturing to the beach at quieter times - or choose other beach locations on Anglesey - it has over 40 dotted around the island's coast.

"We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available."

Parking issues

Cathy Sands This image depicts a two-lane road in a rural or forested area, with cars are parked on both sides of the road. On the left, vehicles are parked on a grassy verge. On the right, cars and a white camper van are parked along the roadside. The surroundings are lush with trees and greeneryCathy Sands
Approaches to the Llanddwyn area are especially popular at the weekends and on public holidays

The area's county councillor said the trial would be carefully monitored by the community, to see what impact it had on traffic through the village over the summer.

"We have to try something, and this is the first step of many I hope," said Mr Jones.

An official for Anglesey council said it would be enforcing existing parking restrictions in the village itself and the surrounding areas over the holiday weekend.

"In addition, we'll ask the public for their support by parking responsibly and safely and asking them to take the needs of the local community into account," they added.