Members' views on Snowdonia 360

We are changing our ways. The things we expect of ourselves and of other people aren’t set in stone. Current circumstances are making all of us rethink what holidays look like.

We published an article in the Spring magazine by Jonathan Williams-Ellis, in which he laid out his aspirations for the ‘Snowdonia 360’ tourist route around northwest Wales. In introducing the piece we asked for your views. Some readers expressed sympathy with tourism-based businesses facing hard times, but all were worried that the initiative’s focal point is the promotion of motorised transport in the area.

The pages of our respected magazine are a good place to discuss questions like this. As one member usefully pointed out, it isn’t that long ago that the Society objected to aspects of the re-opening of the Welsh Highland railway line. Today many people would see the railway’s potential as part of a more sustainable visitor infrastructure. For the avoidance of doubt, the Snowdonia Society does not support the Snowdonia 360 initiative. However, we do think it’s worth discussing their project with them and it’s clear members were glad that it had been brought to their attention. We’ve included excerpts from several of the emails received, to give a flavour of the issues raised:

From Tony Pearson:

I was rather apprehensive reading about the Snowdonia 360 initiative. This concept, based on the North Coast 500 in Scotland, could have a negative impact on Snowdonia. As the article by Jonathan WilliamsEllis mentions, the NC 500 led to a 70% increase in visitor numbers in its first year. Would we want a similar increase in tourists in the Snowdonia area?

From Peter Foulkes, Machynlleth:

Slow tourism, not fast. I have spent (slow) time in Sutherland, taking in the incredible landscape and wonderful natural history, but was perturbed by convoys of camper-vans, who probably stocked up with cheaper provisions before even reaching the Highlands. I saw one such van ‘overnighting’ in the car park for Sandwood Bay, utilising the free toilets and water supply rather than using the campsite a couple of miles down the road. Not to mention the parade of flash sports cars intent on getting around the 500 as fast as possible.

From Paul Nickson, Llanberis:

We know how congested Snowdonia is especially in the summer. The magazine refers elsewhere to Cynllun yr Wyddfa[1] and the desperate need to deal with the parking and other traffic problems affecting the Park. I can only imagine how much worse this will be not only in the Park but in the other areas in the ‘360’ plan such as Anglesey and the Llŷn peninsula. I hope the Society will distance itself from this project and apply the same scrutiny it does to outrageous schemes such as hydro schemes in the Fairy Glen.

From Graham Wood, Eglwysbach.

I was unaware of this initiative until the spring issue of the magazine arrived. I think a lot of people will be interested, not least community groups along valleys that might be affected. The planet is in climate crisis, with emissions from use of fossil fuels being an overriding contributory factor. And yet here is an initiative expressly designed to bring increased numbers of motor vehicles into Snowdonia. If experience in Scotland is any guide then many will be large diesel-powered camper vans. The fact that the initiative is sponsored by Lotus - a maker of high-performance sports cars - gives another worrying indication of the anticipated use. My experience of the North Coast 500, as a cyclist and from talking to local people in the Highlands and Islands, suggests a huge underlying resentment at the disruption, litter, hold ups, increased accident rates and so on which result from increased traffic. A common anecdotal complaint is of camper van hire companies and supermarkets in Inverness doing very well, while serried ranks of vans drive the route causing hold ups but expecting to park free of charge for the night, leave rubbish and empty their chemical loos while making little use of local businesses.

While the roads chosen for the Snowdonia 360 route are not single track, the potential for similar problems is clear. Take for example the B road through Tal y Cafn, Dolgarrog and Trefriw. It isn’t single track but it is narrow and twisty with poor visibility. If you’ve cycled along it you will know how little clearance there is for vehicles passing even with traffic at current levels. The pieces of broken wing mirror on the verges tell a salutary tale. As a cycle route the best that can be said of this B road is that it is the ‘least unsafe’ option down the Conwy valley.

There is a balance to be struck between the need for an economically viable future for rural communities and the dangers of everincreasing commercialisation. But there could be an alternative. During lockdown our daily exercise has been a bike ride. Cycling with hardly a car to be seen or engine to be heard has given a wonderful perspective on what the area could aspire to, with just bird song and the sound of wind in the trees to be heard, and clean air to breathe with no taste of fumes from passing traffic. Just think how that compares with the scenes of parking overload at Ogwen and Pen y Pass in the weeks immediately before and after lockdown.

Snowdonia could become a cheerleader for ‘slow’ or ‘green’ tourism. Imagine the area with serious investment put into a network of traffic free cycle routes, with more frequent and modestly priced public transport linking the various attractions and start/finish points of walks. Snowdonia could be a beacon for quiet, pollution-free, vehicle-free outdoor enjoyment. I am no expert, but there must be ways more in tune with the moment than simply encouraging more people to drive into the area, with the ‘driving’ being the main activity. [1] The Snowdon Partnership is currently working on long-term options to make travel and transport much more sustainable in the visitor hotspot areas of the National Park – our Director is currently Chair of the Snowdon Partnership.