Pen y Fan: New £7.50 parking charge for Brecon Beacons mountain

Walkers going up one of Wales' most popular mountains, Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons, will soon be charged £7.50 to park at the site.

It will be introduced by National Trust Cymru at Pont ar Daf car park at the foot of south Wales' highest peak.

More than 350,000 people visit the mountain each year, and that has often led to parking problems on the nearby A470.

Members of the trust will be able to park for free.

The plan has been announced as the trust prepares to start work on improving facilities at the car park.

Trust bosses have said "improvements have long been needed".

Walking charity Ramblers Cymru said pressures on the mountain "seem to be unsustainable" given its popularity and it would "like to see improved and greener public transport links" from nearby towns.

Walker Karen Jones, who was visiting the area from Birmingham, said she thought £7.50 was a reasonable price for additional parking.

"You park here for quite a while," she said. "It will stop all the congestion of the roads. I'd be quite happy to pay."

But National Trust member Mickey Sontrop said she thought the £7.50 charge depended on what other facilities were available at the car park, otherwise visitors might "find a spot along the road".

"I think it's quite expensive," she added.

The new car park will add about 200 more spaces, giving visitors access to a total of 260 car parking spaces away from the nearby road, the A470.

The improvements will include disabled parking spaces, and electric vehicle charging points, as well as room for minibuses, coaches and cyclists.

There will also be an area for the emergency services.

There are also plans for new visitor facilities, including toilets with disabled access, a Changing Places toilet and baby changing facilities - some of which will be available 24 hours a day.

Improvements to signage, footpaths and information will also allow people to better plan their day.

Alan Kearsley-Evans, general manager of National Trust Cymru Brecon Beacons and Gower, said: "These planned improvements have long been needed and will transform the visitor welcome at Pont ar Daf at the foot of this iconic mountain.

"Improving the car park is a key part of our work in looking after the Brecon Beacons, caring for the land around Pen y Fan and for the network of over 70km of footpaths so that thousands of people can continue to enjoy walking in this area."

Ramblers Cymru president Will Renwick said: "On the one hand, we don't want to see any barriers which deter people from getting outside and enjoying nature, but then, on the other hand, we know that the huge footfall on Pen y Fan creates a significant amount of work to maintain and repair eroded paths, particularly to the summit from Pont ar Daf.

"We welcome safer parking options and improved facilities for walkers, but if there is a charge for parking, we'd want this to be reinvested into improving paths and access in the area," he said.

"Ideally we would like to see improved and greener public transport links such as park and ride options to the site from Brecon and Merthyr.

"This would help alleviate parking issues, be better for the environment, and also bring economic benefits to these communities."

Work is scheduled to take place over the summer and autumn, with a completion date of next winter.

The trust said disruption to current parking and facilities will be minimal.