For the time being I think all effort should
be invested in disputing the planning authorities claim that there is a
traffic and pollution problem in the National Park and that it is
growing.
Somehow this proposition has to knocked
on the head before it can develop a momentum of its own. As a regular
user of Snowdonia since the early sixties I would say there is no
traffic problem and as a regular cyclist on the roads in the park now I
would energetically dispute any claim that there is an accompanying
traffic pollution problem.
I would say there is a much bigger
pollution problem from antiquated domestic heating, certainly in
Bethesda, Betws-y-Coed, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Beddgelert and Llanberis, in
temperature inversion conditions. I need not expand on the mobile and
stationary sources of noise and effluent pollution on Snowdon itself
connected with the railway and the summit cafe.
I can recall being on a route on Dinas
Cromlech at easter 1964 and looking down on the stationary queue of cars
trying to get up the Pass. In recent years I've seen cars having to slow
down because of car parking at Ogwen and Llanberis Pass but nothing ever
that could possibly equated with congestion; and slowing down national
park traffic is no bad thing.
I assume that the Park was created by
some act of parliament and that it has an accompanying charter and I
wonder if what the planners are trying to push through contravenes this
charter and is therefore illegal.
I think you ought to be looking for some
issue like this at present to kill this thing off now and hopefully,
having achieved this end then consider how to go about launching an
initiative to make the park more enjoyable and more amenable for
everyone.