
House of the Dragon: New beach parking measures over gridlock
Visitors to a beach featured in the hit TV show House of the Dragon will face new parking restrictions in a bid to halt gridlock.Ticket prices are set to rise, while the main car parks for those heading to Llanddwyn beach on Anglesey could be closed off from mid-morning.National Resources Wales (NRW), which manages the beach and forest nature reserve, say it is in response to ongoing problems in the nearby village of Newborough.Residents there have held public protests over the level of congestion as more and more people flock to the beach.
The main route to the beach car park means vehicles have to pass through the village on a narrow road to reach the beach.At peak times, such as summer and public holidays, it has led to long queues of traffic.For the road down to the beach - Church Street - it can leave residents there unable to get in or out from their own homes for hours on end.
"The people who live on Church Street, there are so many houses there, and they basically have to plan their day around the visitors that come to the area - which isn't right at all," said the county councillor for the area, John Ifan Jones.
From Friday a fresh attempt to address the issues is being tested.Parking at the main beach car parks will rise to £5 for two hours, and then a further 70p for every additional 20 minutes - up to a maximum of £15 a day.In addition, there will be a trial over the bank holiday weekend, closing access to the car parks on Saturday, Sunday and Monday as they become full.The car parks will shut to new vehicles entering until 16:30 BST each day.
"The trial will stop vehicles accessing the site once the car park becomes full," explained Richard Berry, the NRW land management team leader for the region."Even as cars leave the site and spaces become available no vehicular access will be allowed until after 4.30pm."We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available."
NRW warned that could see the car parks closed from as early as 11:00 during the trial, and said prospective visitors should consider venturing to the beach at quieter times - or choose other beach locations on Anglesey - it has over 40 dotted around the island's coast."We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available."
Parking issues
The area's county councillor said the trial would be carefully monitored by the community, to see what impact it had on traffic through the village over the summer."We have to try something, and this is the first step of many I hope," said Mr Jones.
An official for Anglesey council said it would be enforcing existing parking restrictions in the village itself and the surrounding areas over the holiday weekend."In addition, we'll ask the public for their support by parking responsibly and safely and asking them to take the needs of the local community into account," they added.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
31 minutes ago
- The Independent
UK agrees to check-free land border for Gibraltar but EU controls for flights
The UK has reached a deal with the EU over Gibraltar's border with Spain that will allow travellers to cross by land without checks. The agreement on a 'fluid border' clears the way to finalise a post-Brexit deal on the territory with the EU. But those flying into Gibraltar from the UK will face one check from Gibraltarian officials and another by the Spanish on behalf of the EU. This is because the land border will allow those arriving by air access to the European Schengen free travel area unchecked once they are in Gibraltar. The UK and Gibraltar insisted the changes would not affect the British overseas territory's sovereignty. The airport will operate under a model similar to London's St Pancras station, where passengers pass through both UK and French passport checks to board international trains. Goods and customs checks will also eventually be removed in both directions under the agreement. The move could also see airlines start to add flights to Gibraltar from countries other than the UK in a boost to tourism. Officials say a hard border would have been introduced under the EU's incoming exit and entry control system if no deal was reached, causing delays for some 15,000 people who cross the border every day as every individual passport was checked. Talks on rules governing the border have been ongoing since Britain left the European Union in 2020. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the previous Tory government left behind a situation that 'put Gibraltar's economy and way of life under threat'. He said the agreement was a 'breakthrough' after years of uncertainty. He said: 'Alongside the government of Gibraltar, we have reached an agreement which protects British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar's economy and allows businesses to plan for the long-term once again. 'I thank the chief minister and his government for their tireless dedication throughout the negotiations. The UK's commitment to Gibraltar remains as solid as The Rock itself.' Spanish foreign minister Jose Albares said the deal marked 'a new beginning' in the relationship between the UK and Spain. He said that Spain 'will guarantee free movement of people and goods', adding that Gibraltar would now be linked to the Schengen Area with Spanish authorities controlling entry and exit. President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the deal. In a post on X, she said: 'It safeguards the integrity of Schengen and the single market, while ensuring stability, legal certainty and prosperity for the region.' Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo said the deal would 'protect future generations of British Gibraltarians and does not in any way affect our British sovereignty'. 'Now is the time to look beyond the arguments of the past and towards a time of renewed co-operation and understanding. Now the deal is done, it's time to finalise the treaty,' he said. On Wednesday evening, Sir Keir Starmer spoke with Mr Picardo and thanked him for 'his years of hard work, commitment, and leadership to reach an agreement'. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also had a phone call with Sir Keir, and congratulated the British PM because 'his Government had succeeded where others had failed'. The Conservatives have said they will carefully review the UK's agreement with the EU on Gibraltar's border to see if it crosses any 'red lines' the party set out during its own negotiations when in government. Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said: 'Gibraltar is British, and given Labour's record of surrendering our territory and paying for the privilege, we will be reviewing carefully all the details of any agreement that is reached.' Mr Lammy held talks with Gibraltar's leaders, members of the opposition and the business community before leaving the British overseas territory to head to Brussels on Wednesday morning. Gibraltar was ceded to the UK by Spain in 1713 and the population is heavily in favour of remaining a British overseas territory. The last time it voted on a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain, in 2002, almost 99% of Gibraltarians rejected the move. Gibraltar also hosts an RAF base at its airport and an important naval facility.


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Sunderland Newcastle derby 'can boost football tourism'
The return of the Tyne-Wear derby to next season's Premier League fixture list should be used in efforts to attract more tourists to north-east England, political leaders have season will be the first time since 2016 that both Newcastle and Sunderland have been together in the top flight and there is a hope to capitalise on tourism surrounding English East Combined Authority (NECA) has agreed that the investment agency Newcastle Gateshead Initiative would now promote the whole of Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County City Council leader Michael Mordey told a NECA meeting football could "really drive forward" footfall in the region. Newcastle City Council leader Karen Kilgour added: "It demonstrates just how strong our region is… the sport we have from cricket, to football, to hosting rugby, the Women's World Cup."Our cultural offer is second to none." Recent estimates suggest 68.4 million people came to the region in 2024, slightly down from 69 million the year before, according to the Local Democracy Reporting tourism is claimed to be worth over £6.6bn a year to the North East, it has the lowest number of both domestic and international visitors of anywhere in England, so politicians hope to double the number of tourist trips over the next East Mayor Kim McGuinness told council leaders and other senior figures on Tuesday that the region had not been "good enough in shouting about and marketing ourselves to the rest of the world".She reiterated calls for new powers that would allow her to impose a tourism levy, and her ambition to bring the Olympic Games to the north of England. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.


The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Free spirit or meticulous planner? Meet three holiday personality types – and read their top tips
The type of holidaymaker you (and your travel companions) are can have a big impact on the kind of getaways you'll enjoy. If you're the type to pore over endless reviews, book everything in advance and use a spreadsheet to tick off every detail, you'll have a very different experience to the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of traveller, who prefers to just grab their passport and see where it takes them, carry-on in hand. Or perhaps you're more the flexible type, who likes to plan a few things in advance, but leaves space for spontaneous fun? Or maybe you're the one who breathes a sigh of relief as your super organised friend hands out colour-coded itineraries at the airport? We gathered together some of the holiday heroes that bring getaways to life to find out how they do it – and to discover some of the clever ways Barclays can help your holiday go even further, whichever group you belong to. 'I create a visual itinerary for every trip,' says Sian Downes, 36 Click here to continue the story … Over the years, I've organised girls' trips, multigenerational family holidays and surprise getaways. As the founder of an events company, I'm a natural organiser. I enjoy finding bargains, and I don't mind taking on the planning. In fact, I love it. I wasn't always like this, but after a few holidays where nothing was planned and we had a terrible time, I realised it's better to know exactly what you'll be doing in advance. There's nothing worse than traipsing around looking for a restaurant when you're hungry, and when you're busy with work and family, you want to maximise your holiday time. Being organised is the best way to do that. My holiday organisation can get a bit extreme, but it's always worth it – I love looking things up on maps and working out the most affordable way to get around. I generally pay for as much as possible in advance, from accommodation to drinks packages, and put everything on my Barclaycard Rewards card* so I can take advantage of rewards such as cashback, then ask people to pay me back. I'll also draw up an illustrated itinerary, so everyone can see our plans at a glance. The first time I presented my husband with one, he didn't know what to make of it. He'd never seen a holiday itinerary before, but I think it makes a trip special, and it's a great souvenir, too. I certainly won't be hanging up my chief holiday officer mantle any time soon! *Representative 28.9% APR variable. The approval of your application depends on your financial circumstances and borrowing history, so do the terms you may be offered. The interest rates may differ from those shown. T&Cs apply. 'I use word of mouth to guide our getaways,' says Jessica Shaw, 49 Click here to continue the story … When I was growing up, my mum liked to choose a country, book a place to stay, then see where it would take us. We once went on a package holiday to Egypt, but she still chose to take public transport to the pyramids! That approach has definitely rubbed off on me. When I go on holiday, I like to let things unfold naturally – I don't pre-book excursions or restaurants. Luckily, my partner is incredibly laid-back, and all the friends I've travelled with have the same spontaneous outlook. Perhaps that's because my travel style reflects my approach to life in general – my creative training business is all about embracing the power of play, and that naturally seeps into other areas of my life. It's certainly led to some memorable moments. During a recent holiday to Greece, we were asked if we wanted to join a snorkelling trip. If we'd had plans, we would have had to say no – but instead, we had the most incredible day swimming in clear blue waters. The secret to keeping holidays adventurous is to be prepared for any eventuality. I have annual multi-trip insurance, and make sure I take enough money to cover any emergencies. You should also be ready to chat to locals and fellow travellers and ask for their recommendations. I've discovered some beautiful places that way, from hidden waterfalls to beaches surrounded by snow-capped mountains. When you exchange stories of your adventures, you never know what you might discover. 'I take a 50-50 approach to holiday planning,' says Furrah Syed, 57 Click here to continue the story … I love travelling – with my friends, my husband, or alone – but as time is limited during each trip, I want the best of both worlds, planning some things but also embracing unexpected adventures. I'll do my research beforehand, and will book tickets in advance if an attraction is very popular. I learned that the hard way, after a visit to Rome – as an artist and educator with a focus on colour, I was desperate to see the Sistine Chapel, but it was impossible as I hadn't booked. One of the things I always book is a walking tour. Getting a local's perspective uncovers places you won't find online. It also helps you to spot the restaurants filled with locals, which is always a good sign. Another tip is to travel by road wherever possible, as it takes you through so many different landscapes and allows you to see people's day-to-day lives. You don't get that on a plane. When I'm budgeting for my holiday, I always keep some money aside for spontaneous adventures – the last thing I want is to come home regretting not being able to do something unexpected. I'd say my approach overall is 50% planned and 50% go-with-the-flow, and that works really well for me. Find out more about Barclays Travel Packs and the Barclaycard Rewards card