I have recently read Colin Speakman's contribution in your spring edition of Rural Wales and, as a resident in the Snowdonia Nat. Park, feel impelled to respond.

While I do not disagree with a management plan in principle, I believe that some of the arguments put forward are emotive, inaccurate and in some instances, flawed.  The scheme has been presented in a rather dictatorial manner, with little, if any, real consultation.

I would also be interested to learn how many of those involved in the plan, or its formulation, actually reside in the SNP.

Those 'petrochemical' mountaineers referred to have only become so by force of circumstances and social change.  One only has to attempt to travel by public transport from such places as East Anglia, Home Counties or even South Wales, for the weekend to understand this. And because of the unpredictable and varying weather situation visitors are reluctant to be parted from a vast array of equipment and 'means of escape'. A little more available parking space in strategic locations would prevent much of the "fouling up"

I particularly find it most offensive to be told that local communities in Snowdonia are sick and tired of "outsiders" with expensive cars and equipment spending nothing and polluting the area - and that we must extract money from them! I believe this is an extremist and minority opinion guaranteed to harden the attitude of visitors towards parting with money or indeed any form of cooperation - how to win friends and influence people in North Wales!

I do not know how successful the sherpa service of the 1970's became - all I can recall is the largely empty car park at Nat Peris day after day after day.  Llanberis, Bethesda and Betws y Coed are among the chosen few apparently destined to benefit, in some way, from the proposed scheme.  I am not aware, however, of any consultation in these places as to how the additional cars and buses will be absorbed.

Snowdonia is very much a firsthand experience of landform and wildlife.  I fear the time when visitors will be bussed around to various locations of 'packaged' countryside.  I suppose this may have already arrived in Scotland where passengers on the proposed Cairngorm funicular railway will not be "allowed out" for fear of damaging the countryside, and must return by the same route.  Are these the true 'Tourists' of the future; looking and listening but experiencing nothing?

'Linear parking' at certain locations such as Ogwen appears to be one of the fundamental arguments in support of the scheme. Why should linear parking at Ogwen be any more offensive than car parking in Llanberis for example or the serried ranks of black sileage bags which proliferate the Park?

Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder and I must confess that I only really notice the parking at Ogwen when driving past.  On the days when I park there myself, once away from the vehicle, eyes are turned towards the hills and I become oblivious to the A5 except when reminded occasionally by the noise of large vehicles and motor bikes speeding past. After all, by about 7.00 pm almost all of the vehicles have disappeared without trace - not so with sileage bags! If the proposed scheme is implemented there will still be the same number of cars to be parked - somewhere! but, in addition, there will be several score of buses polluting the air.

Who is it really who finds the parking offensive - not I would suggest, those who come to enjoy and experience the area.  Perhaps it it is those 'true tourists' driving or being bussed past, looking for a pristine landscape or a 'packaged countryside' - unaware probably, that Snowdonia comprises living and working communities struggling to survive.

Note from the Editor - Rural Wales Magazine - 8th June 2000

Many thanks for you letter of the 2nd June in which you make some very interesting points.  Unfortunately your letter arrived after the Summer edition, which is published this week, went to press.  The subject has been covered in three editions and I therefore have decided to close the correspondence

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