'Welcome To Snowconia'

Saturday's Guardian picked up on the controversial Snowdonia Green Key Partnership debate in a story snappily titled 'Tourist trade angry at Snowdon curb on cars'.

The article concentrated on local fears that the proposals to introduce a 'park and ride' sheme would decimate the tourist trade. Visitors would be forced to leave their cars in towns such as Betws-y-Coed and Bethesda and use buses to access the rest of the national park.

The paper reports that at an official consultation meeting held in Betws y Coed, only one hand was raised in support of the scheme.

One b and b owners is quoted as saying: 'At present 92% of tourists who come to Snowdonia come by car. Britain is a nation of car lovers. If visitors cannot use their cars here they will not come to northern Snowdonia.'

The area is still reeling from the impact of foot and mouth and the fear is that walkers, climbers and other visitors will choose to head for other areas rather than leave their cars in designated car parks. A secondary worry is that locals themselves will find their access to the hills obstructed.

Genuine ecological and environmental concern or just naked commercial interest dressed up in green clothes? However you see it, the locals are plainly worried that the whole thing could backfire disastrously. When laybys were previously coned off in an experiment, local apparently removed the cones and a local hotelier put up a sign reading 'Welcome to Snowconia'.

For our earlier news on the scheme see the links at the bottom of this article. To read the Guardian story in full click here.