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"Park Insists
it has taken on board vehement opposition to Green Key scheme, Snowdonia
is listening" - The North Wales Weekly News, March 7, 2002.
Johanna
Firbank reports on a conference that looked ahead to the Snowdonia National
Park's next 50 years
Lessons
have been learned from the storm of opposition sparked by the proposed
Snowdonia park and ride scheme, says the Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA).
Chief
executive Iwan Huws said he was astonished by the strength of feeling that
hit his desk daily - and the desk of the transport minister in Cardiff.
The
Authority has been shocked by the vociferous opposition of many traders and
residents expressed at a series of public meetings in January intended to
sell the Green Key scheme to local people.
Mr
Huws was speaking at a conference, Snowdonia National Park: The next 50
Years, organised by the Snowdonia Society to mark the 50th anniversary of
the park.
He
said that the Green Key partnership, which includes Gwynedd and Conwy County
Councils, the Welsh Tourist Board and the Welsh Development Agency, would
issue a public statement in April.
The
Green Key scheme proposed park-and-ride gateways at Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed
and other towns, where motorists would leave their cars and transfer to a
network of buses.
Mr
Huws hinted that the partnership may now backtrack on some of the Green Key
scheme's more contentious proposals.
"Only
allowing two hours parking within the Snowdonia National Park is extremely
controversial," he admitted.
"We
should get the public transport system improved first before we try and get
people onto buses." .......
Are
they listening? Do the last two sentences quoted above inspire
confidence that they are?
That
Mr. Huws is "astonished by the strength of feeling" speaks
volumes. It demonstrates how insular the Snowdonia National Park is;
they obviously do not know or understand the needs of the local
economy, residents, and visitors.
Despite
the overwhelming rejection of the Snowdonia Green Key Scheme at public
meetings, expressed by people in letters, e-mails, phone calls and on this
web site Mr. Huws is still intending to "try and get people on
buses".
Common
sense should have told him that a two hour parking limit within the National
Park would be controversial.
We
note from the Snowdonia National Park's Annual Report for 2000-2001 the
following (our italics)
Whilst
the objective of achieving a modal shift from private car to public
transport remains, park and ride in various guises will be actively
promoted.
To us
the word 'alternative' in this context means choice of mode of
transport. However, It would seem to us that the modal shift
objective has greater priority than the promotion of alternatives -
the Green Key scheme sought to compel the transfer from car to bus by
restricting and removing parking facilities in the park.
The
SNPA Chairman, in his introduction to the Annual Report, wrote that
the foot and mouth epidemic
Had
a disastrous effect on communities and it soon became clear how closely
the agricultural and tourism industries were inter-related. One cannot
flourish without the other.
We
are concerned at the number of people who responded to the Park and Ride
proposals by saying that if they are implemented they will visit less often
or not at all. The effect of people not coming to the Park is now
clearly demonstrated and hopefully the lesson has been learned. We must now do all we
can to respond to visitor needs and welcome them back.
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