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North Wales introduce 'Sunset Tax' for beach evenings

Updated: Aug 2

Ever looked forward to finishing work for the day and heading straight to the beach to watch the sunset? Well, you may have to pay a little extra to do so!


Seaside lovers in Denbighshire are up in arms as they now must pay to watch the sunsets on their local beaches. For many decades, people in seaside towns such as Rhyl and Prestatyn would head to their local beach for an evening stroll after work.


They would wait for holidaymakers to leave for the day, and then take advantage of the free parking in the coastal car parks after 5pm. Well now, this privielage has been taken away by Denbighshire Council after concerns around budget pressures.


Image of sunset on a beach
Photo © Jeff Buck (cc-by-sa/2.0)


It's prompted uporoar in the affected communities, in which parking charges are now extended until 11pm in the summer. Due to this, residents are now worried about the impact on theatres and the night-time economy now that visitors must now pay to park in the evening.


Across social media, residents have been sharing their opinion. One local said "If you pay local council tax, it should include free parking passes. We live here… why do we have to pay to see the sunset or sunrise in our own town?”



Another resident in the local town was just as appalled, and said the following "We used to like going down to the beach to sit in our van and watch the sunsets,” he said. “But with these ridiculous charges, especially for locals, we refuse to pay them, and now have to do without that pleasure. Utter disgrace that people should be forced to pay just to enjoy a sunset!”


These parking charge changes have prompted some local residents to even consider buying permits in order to continue visiitng local beaches. However, Denbighshire's beach permit does not cover all of the county's coastal car parks.


The annual cost of buying these parking permits rose in April from £65 to £80.


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