MORE details on the impact plans for car parking meters and the associated signs could have on Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site is needed from Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority (BBNPA)
Back in April, BBNPA lodged four planning applications with its own planning department in a bid to install car park machines and associated signage on the edge of four car parks.
Applications for two sites. the car park at the bottom of Llyn-y-Fan road, Llanddeusant, the car park at Carreg Cennen Castle, Trapp, Llandeilo were approved last month by BBNPA’s Planning committee.
But consideration by national park planners continues for the other two applications at the Fox Hunters and Keeper’s Pond car parks, both off the B4246 road near Blaenavon.
The applications for all four is to allow visitors to donate any money as a thank you for parking at the site.
The donations would be reinvested into maintenance of the car parks.
BBNPA planners have stressed that the that the applications have “flexibility” built into the proposals, which would allow compulsory car parking charges to be brought into force at these sites, at some point in the future if the authority so wishes it.
Welsh Government historic environment body Cadw have commented on both the Fox Hunters and Keeper’s Pond applications and said: “We consider that the application is inadequately documented, and we recommend that additional information is required to enable a balanced decision to be taken.”
Cadw continued: “The application will see structures erected in an exposed area where they will be clearly visible from the scheduled monuments and in the wider World Heritage Site.
“There appears to have been no consideration of the impact of the proposals on the historic environment, with the design of the boards not aligning with the existing World Heritage Site branding.”
They suggest that BBNPA need to produce a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for both schemes.
Cadw said: “Once this information has been submitted Cadw should be re-consulted on this application.”
Llanfoist Fawr Community Council has also commented on both proposals during the consultation period.
Llanfoist council said: “Members would be strongly opposed to a mandatory car parking charge but have no material objections where prominent signage is used to make clear that car parking is free and donations are discretionary.”
Decisions on the applications are expected soon.
