Covid rules being lifted sparks waterfall traffic fears

People living near a popular waterfall fear the lifting of Covid rules could cause trouble on nearby roads, after a chaotic summer last year.

Pistyll Rhaeadr and local village Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, in Powys, were last year inundated with visitors after the lifting of restrictions.

Cars parked on a four-mile (6.4km) single track caused lengthy delays.

Powys council said it would use enforcement where necessary, but added tourism was needed in the area.

Twm Morris lives a mile from the waterfall - he's lived in the valley for 60 years and he said he had never seen anything like last year's gridlock.

"They'd just park, they'd leave the car anywhere. As long as they were out of it, and weren't walking, they'd leave the car anywhere," he said.

He added some visitors had tried to leave their cars in his farmyard.

"Some were good, but some would just drive in if they wanted to park. And if you had one there, you had two, three, four - they'd multiply pretty fast. And the language was coming out. I've never heard such language in this valley," he said.

The police have placed bollards at the entrance to Mr Morris' farm and he said so far this year things were better.

Phil Facey runs a café beside a carpark at the foot of the waterfall, where those parking are charged £5 on weekdays and £10 on weekends.

Last year, he said the area could not cope with an increase in visitor numbers, from about 1,000 to 3,000 per day.

A farmer has opened one of his fields for parking - also for a fee - to try to alleviate the congestion. But residents have said there is still a feeling of anxiety when the summer holidays arrive.

Jo Moller, owner of Simply Ribbons, who lives and works a mile-and-a-half (2.4km) from the waterfall, said: "You see the weather forecast and see it's going to be sunny and it's the school holidays and it's almost a bit of a hesitation for us as to how we plan our days.

"Because it's not as easy to get out and to go out and about."

Ms Moller said she also had visitors trying to park in her garden.

"We've got our business here, so we need the access. We've had to barricade the lawn off because we can't always see from our house and, before you know it, people have parked there.

"And once one person parks there, they all think they can park there.

"It's a bit upsetting really because it's our property, they wouldn't like it if we parked on their lawn."

Ms Moller thinks a system of monitoring the number of cars that head up the single-track road from the village would help control the traffic.

Powys council has this year introduced a designated clearway and new signs, and council wardens will be on patrol in the valley on e-bikes.

Heulwen Hulme, portfolio holder for environment at Powys council, said civil enforcement officers were "up there on a regular basis" but they would increase their presence as necessary.

The wardens can issue enforcement notices, but Mrs Hulme said none had been handed out so far.

"I'm sure there will be occasions when we will have to enforce, but at the moment, we're working with the tourists. We need tourists coming to our county to give a boost to our economy, which has been so badly hit over the last 18 months."