The controversial plans to turn a tiny Welsh village into a £7m tourist attraction

From around the village of Pontneddfechan, on the southern edge of Wales’ Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (formerly known as Brecon Beacons National Park), you hear the rushing and crashing of water even before you begin walking. The surrounding area, aptly known as “Waterfall Country”, is a web of deep, dramatic gorges churned through by six cascade-rich rivers, each laced with walking trails. Many refer to the area as offering the greatest diversity of waterfalls in such close proximity anywhere in the UK.

Waterfall Country is already one of South Wales’ most popular natural attractions. Now a £7 million new development, to include a 135-space car park, children’s play park, eight-room tourist accommodation and shop offering visitor information, seems set to further increase vehicular and pedestrian traffic – and divide local opinion too.

When I walked the Elidir Trail – named after a monk in Welsh mythology who fled his monastery, got lost in this precipitous wooded terrain and wound up being led into a fairy kingdom – the effects of a recent influx of visitors to Waterfall Country were clear. Even on an overcast January day, cars were parked on both sides of the road for several hundred metres before the start of the walk, and the path as far as the entrancing Sgwd Gwladus waterfall was busier than any other I had hiked in the national park, bar those up iconic peak Pen y Fan.

They say it was these fast-flowing rivers – the Nedd Fechan, Pyrddin, Mellte, Hepste, Sychryd and Nant Gwrelych – with their steep foliage-clad banks pockmarked by caves and overshadowed by murky overhangs, that were the location of the fantastical world into which the monk Elidir was led.

Indulging in stories of hidden-away fairy realms was difficult on the trail’s crowded lower section. But on the less-frequented upper trail, the path twisted almost theatrically past several more remote but equally thunderous falls, and ancient Celtic rainforest soared away on either side, draped in moss and liverworts. And here the scenery made it easier to countenance such myths.

“There are more isolated sections of these rivers and there are ones that attract bigger crowds,” said Mark Soanes, director of Neath-based outdoor adventure outfit Adventure Britain, which runs hiking, canyoning and climbing trips across Waterfall Country.

“Post-Covid, we started noticing big increases in non-traditional visitors from further away coming to the area. It’s been seen that some visitors didn’t necessarily respect the landscape in the right way.

“I’m not opposed to upgrading any facility but the devil is in the detail. The community must feel their needs are being considered. As we run small group activities, we’re able to help reduce pressure on the Pontneddfechan area which doesn’t have the roads for high traffic volumes: for example, bringing a minibus so our clients aren’t all bringing their own cars.”

Outside the Angel Inn, a historic beamed tavern located at the start of the path to the waterfalls, I spoke with walker Rie Davies from Swansea.

“I’ve been coming here for years,” she explained. “It’s beautiful, and there are so many paths to take my dog on. I’ve noticed it getting busier in recent years, though, often it’s impossible to park. I get frustrated by it and I don’t even live here, so I’m in favour of a scheme that sorts out the parking. As for the other development, Pontneddfechan has an unspoilt village atmosphere right now, so I hope that won’t get ruined.”

“The idea when the application was done for the government’s Levelling-Up fund was to improve facilities for locals and people that come to the waterfalls anyway,” local councillor Simon Anthony Knoyle pointed out. “Historically we have had visitors parking in residents’ driveways, issues with litter. It’s about managing that rather than specifically attracting new visitors. Limited accommodation, aimed at families, was part of the proposal because the Glynneath area, in contrast to other regional outdoor activity hubs, doesn’t have any tourist-oriented lodgings. Overnight visitors can hopefully bring money back into the community.”

Not everyone thinks that community needs are being considered, however. “A stipulation of the Levelling-Up fund is that the community is consulted from the start and we weren’t,” resident Annie Evans told me.

“They had already done all the planning first without speaking to anyone. And when they did do a consultation, there were 28 objecting and seven in support. We all know a new car park won’t stop people parking in places they shouldn’t. [Visitors] will dodge the parking charge that is going to be put in place, and park in the same haphazard ways, blocking driveways and gateways. Plus we already have 100 rooms for tourists locally. We don’t need more.

“The joke of it is many residents applied for their own far less-obtrusive planning permission and got refused: I was turned down for a little sun room on the front of my house. The community hasn’t been listened to at all. 90% of us are against it.”

There are concerns, too, over how the area’s wildlife might be affected. The Celtic rainforest carpeting the slopes here is a rare and extremely biodiverse habitat, and tourists straying off the designated paths or leaving rubbish can endanger the fragile environment.

“Creating sustainable tourism is a balancing act,” stated national park tourism organisation Brecon Beacons Tourism.

“It’s about attracting visitors in a way that respects and preserves the environment while ensuring local communities feel the benefits. The Waterfalls area is a place of outstanding natural beauty, and it’s our responsibility to protect and enhance it.

“By supporting the communities that live and work here, we can ensure this special place remains a welcoming destination for visitors now and in the years to come. We feel that this initiative is a significant step toward achieving that goal.”

One thing seems certain. The development is going to keep shining the spotlight on a beautiful part of Bannau Brycheiniog region that has historically received far less publicity than other places in the park. That’s a good thing – if it is done in the right way.