Fines for illegally-parked campervans
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has issued a stark warning to illegal campers after 19 penalty charge notices were issued this weekend following a spate of unauthorised overnight stays in a number of car parks around the county.
Wild camping, whether it’s in a tent or a campervan, is prohibited in Wales unless you have the landowner’s permission and the Park Authority is encouraging people to make use of Pembrokeshire’s wide-ranging selection of designated campsites.
As well as putting lives at risk by causing access issues for emergency services, illegally-parked campervans have lead to other problems over recent weeks, including littering and people using the National Park as a public toilet.
Patrols will continue around the county this coming weekend to ensure that people are using designated campsites and not parking illegally in the Park.
Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority said:
“The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park was very busy over the weekend with people travelling from all over the country to enjoy the beaches, walks and landscape. The majority were well behaved and followed the guidance. However, there were several instances of illegal camping in the National Park, which led to a number of fines being issued.
“I urge people to respect the Park and use designated campsites for your stay. We have a great selection of sites to choose from around the county and from this weekend onwards, we anticipate all campsite facilities being open. This means those who wish to camp or stay overnight in campervans without facilities can make use of these services at their chosen campsite.
“We have longed for this time when we could enjoy access to this beautiful corner of Wales – let’s not let the irresponsible actions of a few spoil access and enjoyment for us all.”
As part of a five-phase COVID-19 tourism response strategy, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park aims to influence a positive shift in visitor behaviour to encourage a ‘nature and environment first’ approach.
A key aspect of this strategy is to focus on allowing nature to continue thriving as it has under lockdown. Visitors are being asked to respect this increase in natural activity as a key part of the visitor experience and to tread lightly – leaving a legacy of limited impact on the Park.
For information on visiting the National Park and the latest COVID-19 advice, please visit pembrokeshirecoast.wales/coronavirus.
