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Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Wales Online
Parking fees at famous Welsh landmark triggers hunt for 'free' spaces
Parking fees at famous Welsh landmark triggers hunt for 'free' spaces Conwy County Council introduced charges to the Great Orme's summit car park and it's had an immediate effect elsewhere A view of Llandudno's Great Orme from above Dwygyfylchi (Image: David Powell ) Conwy's rising public car park fees are reportedly shifting demand to other facilities within the area. This month, parking charges were introduced at a previously free popular spot on Llandudno's Great Orme. Llandudno Snowsports Centre (LSC) states that rising parking fees at the council's summit car park left them with no choice but to impose their own charges due to the influx of visitors looking for cheaper options. Nigel Treacy, the centre's manager, has observed people turning to his site from pricier town centre parking, with local hotels directing guests there due to free parking. "Some people were being sent here by local hotels," he revealed. "They recommended us because the parking was free. We know this because we heard it from hotel guests." The Llandudno Snowsports Centre's car park which was previously free (Image: Google ) With effect from June, Parking Eye is overseeing the new LSC parking fee of £2 for up to six hours. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Despite the change, some regulars were unprepared; a father who received a £100 fine while watching his son ski vented frustration online, which would drop to £60 if paid within 28 days, reports North Wales Live. Article continues below "I always thought it was free as have never paid before," he lamented. Amidst reductions in funding from the Welsh Government, Conwy Council has consistently raised parking rates over recent years. Charge rates do vary, yet they generally range from £1.50 for an hour up to £7.50 for a four-hour stay, with some seafront spots starting at £5.50. Previously free car parks have also seen the introduction of pay-and-display, with recent upgrades leading to charges at sites in Llanrwst and Llanfairfechan. The Council has cited stretched budgets as the reason for this change, stating it's striving to safeguard essential services within the county. The strategy involves enhancing revenue while scaling back on non-critical services. The council acknowledges that raising parking fees is one of the "difficult choices" it faces in its efforts to manage financial pressures. In Llandudno, where parking demand spikes during the tourist season, plans are afoot for a new "summer" car park, with rates beginning at £2.30 for an hour. Amid these developments, Mr Treacy has decided to implement charges at LSC to ensure parking availability for patrons. He remarked that some customers feel their rates are still too low, saying: "People tell us we're still too cheap!". He compared their pricing, saying: "£2 for up to six hours equates to 33p per hour. In contrast, the (Great Orme) summit car park is £5.50 for up to four hours, equivalent to £1.37 per hour – more than four times as much." LSC's facilities have seen significant investment, including a £300,000 refurbishment five years ago of its 200-metre dry ski slope – the longest in Wales – which now features a more bouncier surface and a 300-head sprinkler system. Additionally, LSC boasts the longest Cresta Toboggan run which is also the longest at 575 metres, as well as with Sno-tubing and "Alpine" crazy golf. Publicity for the new parking charges commenced a month prior to their implementation, leaving Mr Treacy somewhat puzzled as to how any customers could be oblivious to them. "We sat down with the operator and looked at the factors people were most concerned about with parking," he said. "Signage is a big issue – drivers often complain they're not aware of charging. "So we've covered the site in parking signs. They are four provided signs at the entrances, and 13 in the car parks and around the building. We've also paid for an extra 24 signs around the site. "Staff have been instructed to remind customers upon arrival – the last thing we want is for people to incur fines. "We also have multiple ways of paying – coins, contactless and online – and we have a 35-minute grace period without the need to pay: the industry standard is 10 minutes. This is for people who need to make quick bookings or for motorists who accidentally drive up here." The main car park, along with a smaller one located slightly downhill, now feature pay-and-display machines. They can be accessed via a single-lane road through Happy Valley gardens. Both facilities have been labelled as "basic", being gravelled surfaces first installed in 1986 and currently showing signs of wear. LSC has long harboured plans to refurbish them. "Eight years ago we looked at surfacing them with Tarmac but it was felt they would deteriorate too quickly without expensive new drainage," explained Mr Treacy. Initial designs have been proposed for new car parks estimated to cost about £250,000. Yet, justifying such expenditure is challenging given the current frosty economic conditions, particularly within leisure and tourism industries. Article continues below The introduction of new parking fees is anticipated to mitigate financial risks. "We going to need a lot of cars paying £2 a time to get near the target," Mr Treacy remarked.
Wales Online
9 hours ago
- Climate
- Wales Online
BBC weather forecaster Derek Brockway spots 13C temperature plunge at Welsh resort as heatwave ends
BBC weather forecaster Derek Brockway spots 13C temperature plunge at Welsh resort as heatwave ends It was 30C just a couple of days ago at the seaside town Borth-y-Gest near Porthmadog basked in sunshine just days ago (Image: David Powell ) Temperatures have taken a sharp dip across Wales this week as the recent mini-heatwave came to an abrupt end, making way for cooler, wetter weather. After days of sunshine and highs of 30°C in parts of the country, forecasters are now warning of heavy rain and unsettled conditions in the days ahead. The Met Office says a shift to 'westerly mobility' is to blame, bringing in fresher air, more cloud and outbreaks of rain. While there will still be the odd brighter spell, the general outlook for this week is much more mixed with Tuesday, June 24 shaping up to be particularly wet across much of Wales. BBC Wales meteorologist Derek Brockway said: 'What a difference a cold front makes! 30°C in Porthmadog a couple of days ago but back to normal today. Now 17°C!' From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here Content cannot be displayed without consent Weather maps from the Met Office shows heavy rain centred over parts of central and north-west Wales, especially between Caernarfon and Newtown, where forecasters expect moderate to heavy downpours through Tuesday. Article continues below Consistent rain is also likely in areas such as Cardiff and Pembroke, making for a potentially windy and soggy day across the country. The wettest period looks set to hit between 4am and 9.30am on Tuesday, with continued showers affecting Swansea, Cardiff, the Brecon Beacons and parts of north Wales through to around 1pm. As the day goes on, conditions are expected to ease in the south, while rain pushes back into mid and north Wales and particularly around Newtown, Machynlleth, Llanwddyn, and later Caernarfon. According to the Met Office, the weather remains 'changeable Wednesday and Thursday with spells of rain or heavy showers' for much of Wales and the UK. The wetter weather follows a spell of warmth and sunshine for over a week for most of the country. Discussing the recent warmer weather forecasts, the Met Office also said: 'Interestingly the cause of the high temperatures in recent days was not as a result of hot air moving north from Iberia or northwest Africa like we often see. 'Instead, it is air that has originated over the North Atlantic south of Greenland but in a layer between 2-4 km above the ground. 'As the air approaches the UK, it descends within the area of high pressure. Descending air rapidly warms - at around 10°C per kilometre. 'As we head into the weekend, high pressure begins to move away from the UK towards the east, drawing up air that has been heated over several days over the near continent. Article continues below 'This allows temperatures to rise into the low 30s Celsius.'
Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Wales Online
Road-rage brawl shuts major Welsh road as air ambulances called to scene
Road-rage brawl shuts major Welsh road as air ambulances called to scene The road was shut for more than two hours, with two people taken to hospital Traffic built up by Conwy Morfa after an incident on the A55 westbound near the Penmaenbach Tunnel on May 19 (Image: David Powell ) A major Welsh road was closed for hours after a road-rage dispute erupted into violence on the carriageway. Emergency services were called to the westbound carriageway of the A55 in North Wales on Monday, May 19 after a fight broke out between two men. The incident caused major disruptions to rush-hour traffic and prompted a large emergency response. The altercation occurred near Dwygyfylchi, where two men, who were passengers in separate vehicles, became involved in a brawl. Police, along with two air ambulances, were called to the scene, reports North Wales Live. Both men were taken to hospital with injuries, and one was later arrested. Two women, who police said were driving the cars involved in the incident, were also arrested. Officers have confirmed that no collision had taken place. In a statement, North Wales Police said: "North Wales Police were called at 16:01hrs on Monday, May 19th reporting an altercation in the live westbound carriageway of the A55 at Dwygyfylchi between two males. Officers responded and the road was closed. Article continues below Police en-route to an incident on the A55 westbound just after Penmaenbach Tunnel (Image: North Wales Live/David Powell ) "Both males were passengers in separate vehicles - an Audi and a Cupra, and both were injured and taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd with injuries. "The female drivers of both vehicles were arrested - a 33-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and section 18 wounding and a 49-year-old female was arrested on suspicion of drug driving, racially aggravated public order and careless driving. "One male has since been released from hospital and is now in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of assault. "Both females have since been released under investigation whilst enquiries continue. The A55 reopened shortly before 6pm. "Officers would like to thank all those who contacted them yesterday, and also to all motorists for their patience and understanding whilst the incident was dealt with." Two air ambulances were dispatched to the scene. One from Caernarfon arrived at the site at around 4.30pm, while the second helicopter from Welshpool was redirected en-route to the incident. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here At one point, both directions of the A55 were shut between the Penmaenmawr exit and the Llandudno Junction side of the Conwy Tunnels. This led to traffic being diverted onto alternative routes, causing congestion in areas such as Conwy and Llandudno Junction. The eastbound lanes were reopened shortly after the incident, but the westbound carriageway remained closed for over two hours. Article continues below
Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Wales Online
Brawling men force A55 to close and spark huge emergency response
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The cause of an A55 closure, which shut the westbound carriageway for two hours and sparked a huge emergency response has been confirmed by police and it wasn't a crash. A fight broke out between two men, after a road-rage type incident at the height of rush hour yesterday afternoon. The brawl took place near Dwygyfylchi, with police and air ambulances called to the scene. Both men, who were passengers in separate cars, were taken to hospital with injuries. One was later arrested with the women drivers of the two cars, also arrested. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox A North Wales Police statement said: "North Wales Police were called at 16:01hrs on Monday, May 19th reporting an altercation in the live westbound carriageway of the A55 at Dwygyfylchi between two males. Officers responded and the road was closed. "Both males were passengers in separate vehicles - an Audi and a Cupra, and both were injured and taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd with injuries. "The female drivers of both vehicles were arrested - a 33-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and section 18 wounding and a 49-year-old female was arrested on suspicion of drug driving, racially aggravated public order and careless driving. "One male has since been released from hospital and is now in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of assault. Both females have since been released under investigation whilst enquiries continue. The A55 reopened shortly before 6pm. (Image: David Powell) "Officers would like to thank all those who contacted them yesterday, and also to all motorists for their patience and understanding whilst the incident was dealt with." Two air ambulances were called. One from Caernarfon landed at the site at around 4.30pm while the second helicopter from Welshpool turned around on route to the incident. At one point both sides of the A55 were closed between the Penmaenmawr turnoff and the Llandudno Junction side of the Conwy Tunnels. This saw traffic diverted onto alternative roads with congestion in places like Conwy and Llandudno Junction. The eastbound lanes reopened a short a time after the incident, but the road remained closed Westbound for more than two hours. Find out what's happening near you
Wales Online
14-05-2025
- Wales Online
Body found off Welsh coast during search for teenage boy
Body found off Welsh coast during search for teenage boy North Wales Police have confirmed a body was recovered off the coast of Llandudno this evening Athrun went missing over the weekend while on a family holiday A body has been found off the coast of Llandudno during the search for a missing boy. North Wales Police this evening confirmed a body was recovered during the search for 16-year-old Athrun, who disappeared on Saturday, May 10 while on a family holiday to North Wales. A spokesperson for North Wales Police said: "A body has been recovered this evening during searches for missing 16-year-old Athrun. "Multi-agency searches resumed this evening, Wednesday May 14th, in the West Shore area of Llandudno following sighting of a body on Tuesday evening. "Searches conducted by the police underwater search team, NPAS and coastguard resulted in a body being recovered today at 6.20pm. "Formal identification is yet to take place, but Athrun's family have been informed and are being supported by officers. "The death is not being treated as suspicious, and the coroner has been informed." Article continues below Police were involved in the search (Image: David Powell/ReachPLC ) Chief Inspector Trystan Bevan said: 'My deepest condolences remain with Athrun's family, and I would ask for their privacy to be respected at this incredibly sad and difficult time. 'This is not the outcome anyone hoped for, and I would once again like to thank partner agencies and members of the public for their overwhelming support and tireless assistance with the searches over the last five days.' Article continues below Athrun, who was from the south Gloucestershire area, had last been seen close to the boating lake and playpark wearing blue and white patterned swim shorts. "Extensive" land, air and water searches were carried out by specialists from several agencies as soon as the missing person report was raised. On Tuesday, police said a body had potentially been sighted in the sea near Llandudno shortly after 7pm that day.
