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Powys County Times
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Powys County Times
Facilities at visitor hotspots at Bala set for upgrades
National park planners have agreed two separate proposals to upgrade the facilities and security at two separate sites beside an Eryri beauty spot. The schemes both concern well-used car parking and toilet areas on opposite shores of Llyn Tegid - or Bala Lake - in Gwynedd. The Eryri National Park Authority [ENPA] planning and access committee approved the applications with conditions, including pollution prevention advisories, at its meeting on Wednesday, June 25. The first application concerned the ENPA warden centre and car park, on the northern shore of Llyn Tegid, close to Bala town. They will see grey timber cladding and solar panels added to the two-storey warden building, which included toilets above, and a boat rental and watersports business below. Car park recognition 'ANPR' cameras, plus CCTV and a new entrance gate, would also be included. Revised plans would also see more cameras also attached to two sides of a small stone building near the entrance. The large, 1.2 hectare site was described as 'a very popular stopping place for visitors to access Llyn Tegid '. The plans said the work was considered to be 'non-intrusive' nor harmful to any species or site. The second application concerned the Llangower car park on the eastern shore, on a long strip of land, where there were also toilets. The plans would see the removal and upgrade of the existing toilets, installation of cladding, renewal work and creation of further car parking spaces, the installation of ANPR and CCTV cameras, and a new gate. The car park is on a 0.4h acre site, between the B4403 and the heritage railway – Rheilfordd Llyn Tegid – or Bala Lake Railway. The Llangower stop is accessed from the car park. Plans noted that the parking area was 'generally unregulated, with no marked parking bays, and with a tarmac track. It was also popular with visitors'. The meeting heard that the work could see the park capacity increase from around 60 to 90 spaces by marking out specific bays. They would be surfaced with "porous interlocking demarcated blocks". Following a public consultation no objections had been received for both the applications. Brian Angell, a committee member appointed by the Welsh Government, called for advisory notes to be attached, over measures to prevent any pollution issues. Planning case officer Richard Thomas told the meeting pollution pathways had been identified for Llyn Tegid, but a habitats regulation assessment had been carried out. 'They found that if developers or the authority employed pollution prevention measures during construction, those pathways could be secured and no pollution would ensue to Llyn Tegid,' he said.
North Wales Live
27-06-2025
- North Wales Live
Facilities upgrade at popular Eryri beauty spot gets green light
National park planners have agreed two separate proposals to upgrade the facilities and security at two separate sites beside an Eryri beauty spot. The schemes both concern well used car parking and toilet areas on opposite shores of Llyn Tegid near Bala in Gwynedd. The Eryri National Park Authority [ENPA] planning and access committee approved the applications with conditions, including pollution prevention advisories, at its meeting on Wednesday, June 25. Debate over the use of materials was queried during the committee's discussion, with questions asked over pollution risks of work at the waterside sites. Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday But the meeting heard that although "pollution pathways" had been identified, any potential risk could be mitigated by use of pollution prevention measures employed during construction. The first application concerned the ENPA warden centre and car park, on the northern shore of Llyn Tegid, close to Bala. The plans called for permission to insulate and affix grey timber cladding and solar panels to the two-storey warden building, which included toilets above, and a boat rental and watersports business below. The scheme would see the installation of car park recognition 'ANPR' cameras, as well as CCTV and a new entrance gate. Revised plans would also see more cameras also attached to two sides of a small stone building near the entrance. The large, 1.2 hectare site was described as "a very popular stopping place for visitors to access Llyn Tegid". The plans said the work was considered to be "non-intrusive" nor harmful to any species or site. The second application concerned the Llangower carpark on the eastern shore of the lake, on a long strip of land, and where there were also toilet facilities. The plans would see the removal and upgrade of the existing toilets, installation of cladding, renewal work and creation of further car parking spaces, the installation of ANPR and CCTV cameras, and also a new gate. The car park is on a 0.4h acre site, between the B4403 and the heritage railway - Rheilfordd Llyn Tegid - or Bala Lake Railway. The Llangower stop is accessed from the car park. Plans noted that the parking area was "generally unregulated, with no marked parking bays, and with a tarmac track. It was also popular with visitors". The meeting heard that the work could see the park capacity increase from around 60 to 90 spaces by marking out specific bays. They would be surfaced with porous interlocking demarcated blocks. This was "a more efficient use of the land," a report said, and it was hoped to help boost income for the national park. The plans would also see internal upgrades to the toilet, and the external timber cladding would "improve maintenance costs and longevity of the building". Cameras would also be installed on poles. The application noted that "careful consideration was afforded for use of appropriate materials to ensure they were compatible with the setting of this relatively remote but well used car parking facility". Following a public consultation no objections had been received for both the applications. Brian Angell, a committee member appointed by the Welsh Government, had queried the types of timber used, if it was native or local, how it was sourced, if it would be tanalised and how chemicals would be handled. He called for advisory notes to be attached, over measures to prevent any pollution issues. Planning case officer Richard Thomas told the meeting pollution pathways had been identified for Llyn Tegid, but an HRA (habitats regulation assessment) had been carried out. "They found that if developers or the authority employed pollution prevention measures during construction, those pathways could be secured and no pollution would ensue to Llyn Tegid," he said.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Popular Exmoor footbridge closed over safety fears
A popular footbridge in Exmoor has been shut over safety Hinds Pitt bridge, near the Tarr Steps circular walk, in Somerset, has been deemed unsafe after structural National Park Authority (ENPA) said it was working on a plan for a long-term replacement, reinstating public access and recreation manager, Dan Barnett, said: "The bridge has been there since the 1950s and some key parts of the steel structure have deteriorated to a point where they are no longer safe." He said while they hoped to replace the bridge, the process would "take some time" to develop due to seeking agreement from relevant landowners and raising the "considerable funds required".Mr Barnett said temporary modifications of the bridge were possible, and they were looking into it "urgently" to allow the bridge to open while they planned for its replacement."In the meantime, the Tarr Steps site is otherwise open for everyone to enjoy, including short walks there and back on either side of the river and all the longer walks in the area are fully open too," he said."The popular long distance footpath the Two Moors Way is still passable using an alternative route on the west bank of the river," he added.
BBC News
23-03-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Trees felled in storm on Exmoor 'helping support nature'
Trees felled at a national park in Devon during Storm Darragh are helping support insects, conservationists have National Park Authority said the storm - which brought winds of up to 88mph (142km/h) in December - caused "significant damage and disruption" to the senior woodland officer Graeme McVittie said the "silver lining" was dead wood could help improve Exmoor's ecosystem and the park was strategically cutting certain trees to help support wildlife."It's proved useful, not only repurposed for local, sustainable timber, but for nature colonisation by invertebrates and dead wood-boring insects," he said. McVittie said: "We've learnt so much over the last few decades about the potential nature benefits of dead wood."Standing columns of damaged trees can be great habitats for birds like woodpeckers. "In fact, the ENPA woodland team, with the help of specialist contractors, are working on the 'veteranisation' of certain trees to help support bats, birds and butterflies."Veteranisation is the process of deliberately damaging younger trees to speed up the development of microhabitats, mimicking older trees. Climate adaption It is said to encourage fungi and insect growth, which in turn helps feed bats, birds and McVittie said woodland management was not just about increasing the number of trees but also resilience, flood management, supporting the migration of species and creating refuge for rare lichens. "With extreme weather events on the rise, it's vital we factor climate adaption into our approach," he said.
