Eight motorcyclists are among the first to fall foul of new ANPR parking cameras at Llyn Tegid in Bala, Eryri. The cameras were switched on July 13 to tackle overnight camping at the lake, and the group from Devon stopped twice to buy ice creams before discovering new parking charges had been introduced.
Each of the eight bikers now faces two separate £60 fines, giving them a combined bill of £960. Their frustration, however, is overshadowed by the anger of local residents who believe they are being excluded from their own lake. A petition has been launched against Eryri National Park Authority (ENPA) calling for free access to the lake's car parks.
Parking charges and the ice-cream stop
The dispute follows chaotic scenes on local roads in recent summers as Bala struggles with over-tourism. In response, capacity was increased at Llyn Tegid's two car parks, charges were raised and solar-powered ANPR cameras were installed. Parking now costs £5 for up to four hours, with a daily rate of £8. Separate tariffs apply to watersports users, while Blue Badge holders get double the standard time allowance. Motorcyclists are now charged £1 to park in a spot they say was previously free.
A regular visitor from Torquay was caught out when he stopped at the lake with a group of biker friends. On a local message board, he said: "I've been visiting Llyn Tegid for many years from my home in Devon. This year I brought seven friends with me on motorcycles to introduce them to this beautiful area. We stopped here twice to buy an ice-cream from the lovely lady in the ice cream van – this is something I've been doing for getting on for 10 years."
He continued: "In that time I have never been aware of a parking fee for motorcycles in the bay just as you enter. Now we have been home for a week we have started to receive the fines. As we visited twice, we are all expecting £120 each in fines ....for apparently missing £2 in parking fees! None of us remembers seeing any new signage in that motorcycle area. We would of course have paid the measly £1 charge if we had been made aware of it. Sadly, it has put a bitter taste in our mouths after visiting your beautiful countryside."
Other motorists have also claimed to have been hit with £60 fines after visiting on July 12, the day before the ANPR cameras were activated. They are contesting the penalties but are pessimistic about their chances with a private operator now managing the car parks.
Residents say they are being excluded
Overnight parking bans at nine other Eryri car parks were paused in June following a public backlash. The bans were retained at the two Bala facilities, which now form part of a "pilot scheme". In protest, Bala residents have launched a petition and a letter-writing campaign demanding greater access. Many had campaigned for tighter restrictions because of lakeside littering, noise and illicit camping, but the subsequent changes have now come back to haunt them.
Residents must also pay higher parking charges and, potentially, punitive fines. As a concession billed a "local benefit", they are permitted a free hour of off-peak parking. But locals say the times available are a slap in the face: the free hour is only between 2am and 8am, or 5.30pm and midnight. "Nobody's socialising by the lake at 3am," they fumed. "Calling that a benefit isn't generous, it's insulting."
In a letter to ENPA, petitioner Elin Pritchard added: "That's not a meaningful concession for anyone trying to visit after work, at the weekend, or with children, it's a token window designed to let you say one exists."
The petition argues Llyn Tegid and its two car parks have "belonged to this community for generations". Demanding free 24-hour access, it added: "This lake is where this community meets, not a place we should have to pay to stand in." Elin voiced further concerns: "We are constantly told, by government, by health bodies, by the outdoor sector itself, that people, and especially children, need more time outdoors, not less. A charge like this does not encourage that. It quietly discourages it, and it does so most for the people who already have the least room in their budget to absorb it."
Private enforcement and ENPA response
Also causing local alarm is the enforcement model. Elin said: "This scheme is being managed on the authority's behalf by Initial Parking, a private company. Whatever the safeguards, the practical effect for residents is that access to a public lake is now gated by a private firm whose income depends on charges and penalty notices being issued. That is a significant change to how this land is used, and it deserved real consultation with residents and community councils before it began, not after."
Within six days, the petition had raised 534 signatures, more than a quarter of the town's population. One supporter said it was "awful that people are being pushed away from beautiful natural spaces".
In response to Elin's letter, Bethan Wyn Hughes, ENPA's director of corporate services, said the pilot would run until the end of the October half-term. Thereafter, the ANPR system would remain operational, but changes could be introduced. She added: "The purpose of the pilot is to gather evidence of the effectiveness of ANPR of dealing with both overnight camping and general non-payment of parking fees. The findings from the pilot, including operational ANPR data, resident feedback, community council views and other relevant information, will be evaluated as part of the overall review, and will help inform any future decisions. It would be premature at this stage to speculate on what conclusions may be reached or what changes, if any, may result from that process."
ENPA said the pilot scheme was introduced to help it manage its car parks more effectively and to ensure the correct parking charges are paid. It is hoped the new arrangements will also "improve the visitor experience" and contribute towards the sites' ongoing maintenance. To clamp down on overnight parking, both car parks are now closed from 12am-2am each day.
