An ongoing increase in visitor numbers to one of south Pembrokeshire’s most prized coastal areas, Freshwater West, has resulted in the National Trust’s proposal to introduce parking charges at the visitor car park.

This is one of several suggestions currently being examined by the Trust following an eight-month consultation process with the aim of enhancing the sustainable future of Freshwater West.

“Visitor numbers regularly exceed capacity, and our car park alone welcomes around 75,000 people each year,” explained National Trust Cymru’s assistant director of operations, Jonathan Hughes.

“While we’re delighted that so many people want to visit, we have to balance the popularity of the site with its impacts on the sensitive nature of the beach and the wider environment, as well as the pressures this places on the facilities and the surrounding roads.”

Nearly 5,000 people have contributed to two online surveys, with more attending drop-in events, workshops and discussions.

As a result of this detailed consultation process, a range of key priorities have been brought forward including car parking, traffic, toilets and signage.

These proposals include reconfiguring the main car park at the beach with a new seasonal overflow at Gupton Farm and implementing safer parking in the overall area.

The proposed introduction of car parking charges would support improvements to and the future management of the car park, while changing to a parking charge would also enable the National Trust to continue carrying out important conservation work.

Also proposed is the extension and upgrade of the existing toilet block with better disabled access and the addition of new signage, visitor information and refreshment provision.

The beach is a legally protected conservation area, a European Designations of Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and is subsequently of international importance amongst the most highly designated sites in the UK.

The National Trust has meanwhile confirmed that the memorial to Dobby - the fictional elf in the Harry Potter series - will remain at Freshwater West in the immediate term, but is asking visitors to only take photos when visiting the memorial to help protect the wider landscape.

The tribute mainly consists of pebbles with messages to the elf, portrayed by Toby Jones in the film series, and socks.

The Sustainable Freshwater West Executive Summary can be found on: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/freshwater-west-beach