A Sherpa Bus at Pen-y-Pass. Photo: Ancient Brit
A project to encourage walkers and mountaineers on to public transport has been thrown into doubt by the sudden withdrawal of funding.
The Welsh Assembly Government announced it would stop providing cash for the Snowdonia Green Key scheme from March next year. The partnership running the project, which includes the Sherpa buses, had expected funding to continue.
The Green Key authorities had recently begun installing pay-and-display machines at car parks throughout the North of Snowdonia, which could be exchanged for free travel on Sherpa buses.
Another Green Key aim was the development of a low-level path around Snowdon, improvement of footpaths and cycle tracks in the area and the management of visitor traffic in the national park. The Welsh Assembly Government’s withdrawal has rocked the project.
Conwy Borough Council, Gwynedd Council, the Countryside Council for Wales, Snowdonia National Park Authority and Visit Wales are all partners in the scheme.
Dafydd Wyn Williams of Gwynedd Council said: “Following the unexpected announcement from the Welsh Assembly Government that funding allocated for the Green Key project is to be terminated on 31 March 2009, the partnership which supports the work of the project has written to the Government to express our dissatisfaction and concern.
“Gwynedd Council, Conwy County Borough Council and the Snowdonia National Park Authority have been working together as part of the Green Key Partnership which supports the Sherpa bus service in Snowdonia and provides sustainable travel in one of the UK’s busiest national parks.
“The partnership’s previous correspondence with the Assembly Government stated that funding was scheduled to decrease gradually each year and as a result our business plan was conceived on this basis.
“The unexpected news that the Government funding will come to an end early next year – two years earlier than we had been initially notified – will jeopardise the implementation of the project in the future.”
One key aim of the scheme was to encourage better health among by increasing the walking and cycling in the area while keeping extra traffic to a minimum.
Snowdonia is the second biggest national park in England and Wales and has a population of more than 26,000. The Green Key strategy was first drawn up in 2001. An early rejection of a compulsory park-and-ride scheme was rejected in favour of one offering ‘value for money’.
Fred Campbell
10 November 2008Whilst I wish the Green Key strategy every success - these projects can collapse due to the glacial rate of progress in achieving their goals.
The strategy was drawn up in 2001 and I'd imagine that there would have been several years of consultation before.
I walked the Snowdon circular twice this year(2 days of sunshine on both occasions!) and it is glorious, particularly if you clip of the Llanberis and Slate Quarry section and wild camp high up in the upper cwms.
Although the route has been drawn I did not meet another person on the route. Whilst I did not spend any money on accommodation(part of the aim of the project is to encourage walkers to do so) I did leave a substantial amount in the various pubs and cafes en route. I ate very well and enjoyed good company in the pubs. No-one I enthused to about the route had heard of it.
I am happy for this route not to be 'improved' but if the authorities wish the project to succeed they need to pull their fingers out and start shouting about this brilliant 2 day walk.
Dave
10 November 2008why does the Welsh assembly seem to ignore it's mountains and those who use them?
or am I missing something
David Dear
17 November 2008This decision seems to be in line with Welsh Assembly's pretty blinkered, philistine attitude to Snowdonia, along with granting 125yr licence to Kemble Air Group to reopen an abandoned airport within the National Park at Llanbedr. Interestingly, the Sports Council of Wales does not see Mountaineering as a priority in Wales (see BMC/Cymru newsletter June 2008)
janet curtis
10 January 2009we are planning our holiday in wales ( return visit as we love the area) and as we now have motor home thought the sherpa buses ideal for us. now are reconsidering whether to make wales our holiday this year or go elsewhere. So a little confused at the thinking behind the halting of the funding as tourism is vital to the area and green issues topical ....or it us who are confused?.
andytanlan
19 February 2009i am a driver for arriva, who run the open topper in the above photograph. Not only is the service used by visitors and walkers but also the local community.With the witdrawal of the funding the companies involved will no longer be able to run the services. So I hope the Welsh Assembly have thought of this and will release funding for at least a reduced service in Snowdonia>
Annette
16 October 2009Did anyone else (who read this discussion) travel on the 21/22 Arriva service that did a circular run round Bangor, Bethesda, Pen Y Pass, Llanberis, Caernarfon and Anglesy during the school summer holiday?
It was better than the Sherpas, because they only serve Bangor, and because, in the rather wet summer, it was preferable to travel in a roofed double decker than the Sherpa open tops.
Snag was that it was announced too late to stop people who had booked elsewhere when they'd heard about the Sherpa cuts