Eight motorcyclists from Devon are facing a combined £960 in fines after stopping for ice creams at Llyn Tegid in Bala, within Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia. The group was caught by newly installed automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras that recorded them entering the car park twice, unaware that parking charges had been introduced.
Each rider is set to receive two £60 penalty notices. One of the bikers, posting on a local notice board, said: “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.”
New parking cameras
The cameras were introduced on July 13 to discourage overnight camping and better manage visitor numbers, following years of congestion and overcrowding during peak tourist seasons in Bala. The measures have prompted growing local frustration, with residents arguing they are being priced out of accessing their own lake. A petition has since been launched urging Eryri National Park Authority (ENPA) to provide 24-hour free access to the lake's car parks.
Charges and pilot scheme
Parking now costs £5 for up to four hours, with a daily rate of £8. Separate tariffs apply for 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.
Overnight parking bans at nine other car parks were suspended in June following public opposition, but the restrictions remain in place at the two Bala car parks, which are being used as part of a pilot scheme. Both car parks are closed from 12am to 2am each day.
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.
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.
