Betws y Coed Smart Town Data Capture project

The project aim is to extend the reach of the current CCBC/Purple (North) free Wi-Fi access points, currently only in the centre of the village, to the North and South of the village.  This will enable the capture of as much data as possible about visitor patterns, dwell times, number of visits, pressure points etc and to share these with partners for use to assist business planning and design such as opening times, maximising staff at identified peak times, investment, provide figures to prospective new businesses to empty shops etc and as evidence to attract potential funding to improve the infrastructure and address both local and visitor needs.  It will also assist CCBC in tailoring services in the village to maximum effect (eg litter collections and toilet opening). 

No personal data is taken and it is fully compliant with GDPR.

Additionally the project data will:

• Measure the number of people in the village at any time during the day or evening over a week or month. 
• Provide evidence of popular and pressure points in the town/village (where people gather e.g. Pont y Pair & Cae Llan) 
• Identify how people travel into the village by car/bus/train/coach tour etc 
• Identify if there is sufficient parking spaces to number of cars? 
• Show how many fail to find somewhere to park and in-turn park irresponsibly?   
• Detail what time people arrive, how long they stay, what they have done, where they have been in the village, what time they left.  It can also pick up if they have been to Betws before and how many times in say a week/month. 
• Show whether visitors park & leave the village and return later? Do they jump straight back in the car and leave or do they stay to eat, shop, stay? 
• Assist with planning where to invest and install benches, picnic tables, signs, bins, lighting, repairs and improvements. 
• Assist with knowing when to open & close toilets, shops, café’s and help with arranging staffing, offer free parking, market offers e.g. two lunches for the price of 1 when eateries are open but a quiet time of day. 
• Show whether the weather influences people’s choice to visit (off to the seaside when its fine?) 
• Identify seasonal fluctuations in visitor numbers.
• Provide data to be used to attract businesses to empty shops. 
• Provide details on what are the influential factors to visiting Betws-y-Coed – events? Sufficient parking spaces? Good public transport? The shops, walks, hotels etc etc 
• Provides evidence of actual events and footfall and not what we think. What it does not do of course is tell us what is not happening!

The project will make good use of the data gathered to enhance the village and in turn benefit the wider community which it must otherwise it’s just data therefore it must have a group who can evaluate and use the data to its potential. 

Data gathered would be actual evidence, fed into such projects as the current Snowdonia Partnership Transport and Parking consultation project on behalf of the community and businesses of Betws-y-Coed.  

Smart Towns system is already in operation in Beddgelert (and numerous other towns in Gwynedd) who with Betws-y-Coed, Llanberis and Bethesda forms part of the Transport and Parking consultation.
  
The data can help with evidence when making a case for improvements, traffic management,  proving effects of high footfall and alleviating them, pressure points, applications for funding & support to address issues, the best time of day to carry out services e.g road/street sweeping, emptying litter bins, events, marketing offers etc.