Clampdown ordered at besieged North Wales beauty spot
Earlier this month, residents were left incensed when dozens of visitors parked illegally along a narrow country lane near Thomas Telford's dramatic 140-metre weir in Llangollen. By brazenly ignoring double yellow lines, and potentially blocking traffic, local people said it reflected a wider disrepect today's visitors have for the area.
At an attraction that now draws more than 100,000 visits each year, littering is endemic and illegal BBQs are reportedly becoming more commonplace. Scenes witnessed on recent sunny weekends have shocked residents and fuelled calls for badly parked cars to be towed away.
Denbighshire Council is now asking visitors to plan ahead and consider other sites in the beautiful Dee Valley if Horseshoe Falls is busy. The local authority wants people to do their homework so they have other options if spaces are unavailable at the weir car park.
To help manage the area's problems, extra countryside rangers have been allocated to the site over the summer holidays. The council has also pledged greater visibility from traffic wardens in the surrounding area, especially at peak times.
Cllr Alan James, lead member for local development and planning, warned visitors that a cheap day-out could suddenly become more expensive. He said: 'We do want visitors to enjoy Horseshoe Falls and the surrounding areas.
'But we would strongly urge them that parking restrictions are important for both road safety and ensuring there is a fair turnover of parking spaces. Drivers need to be aware that while visiting, anyone not complying with parking restrictions risk receiving a Penalty Charge Notice from our civil enforcement officers.'
Another measure implemented by the council is the installation of fencing at the Horseshoe Falls car park entrance. This, it said, is to stop vehicles being parking on grass verges, which can obstruct traffic.
Urging people to visit and park responsibly, Cllr James said the Dee Valley has plenty of other attractions to visit. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
He added: 'Our rangers are on site at Horseshoe Falls to provide advice and guidance to visitors coming to the site. I would ask that the public also respect the important role they are there to carry out.'
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