TOURIST FACILITIES ARE VITAL FOR BOOST IN VISITOR NUMBERS - ÖPIK

4.45.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 20th May 2009

Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, is urging Powys Council to choose to keep the visitor toilets open at the waterfall in Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant rather than having them demolished.

The facilities are not connected to a mains water supply nor sewage facility and are run using a natural water spring above the toilets. However, with an increasing number of visitors the facilities have become unsustainable and presented a possible public health risk as the pressure from the spring is very low. With the lease ending in 2010 a number of options have been presented to the council before the lease expires, either improving the facilities, by surrendering the lease to the landowners, or demolishing them.

Commenting on these options, Lembit said:

"Thousands of people every year visit the waterfalls. This is a testimony to the attraction of the falls, and also stresses the need for well-equipped visitors' facilities for the area.

"Far better to spend the small amount to keep them open, than to put people off visiting by removing what is, frankly, a vital facility.

"I expect that tourism in Wales this summer will be boosted to higher levels than ever before and it is crucial that these changes are not made during the summer to discourage potential visitors to the area.

"I hope that the Council will be persuaded to keep these facilities open until a more satisfactory solution can be found."

Ends/diwedd