Call to reconsider motorhome seafront parking ban
North Yorkshire CouncilA ban on motorhomes and campervans parking overnight on Scarborough seafront should be reconsidered, the town council has said.
A trial ban set up by North Yorkshire Council remains in place on Royal Albert Drive in Scarborough, as well as on Osgodby Hill and Filey Road in Cayton Bay and the A174 Sandsend to Raithwaite road.
North Yorkshire Council said the plans were prompted by an "unprecedented level" of complaints about overnight parking and concerns over safety.
However, Scarborough Town Council said the scheme had had "unintended consequences" and motorhome owners were now parking in residential areas.
In a letter, penned by the town council's Community and Place Committee, the authority added: "We believe a more balanced, controlled and enforceable approach would better address the issues faced by the community while supporting responsible tourism and relieving pressure on residential areas."
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, thousands of complaints have been made about motorhome owners parking outside people's houses since the ban came into force.
Several proposals for improvements have been made by Councillor Sarah Mason, including introducing a paid overnight parking scheme, allowing overnight parking during set hours, the use of a pre-approved permit or licence system, as well as dedicated bay markings for campervans.
At a committee meeting on Wednesday, councillors also urged North Yorkshire Council to ensure that displacement from the ban was taken into consideration.
The letter stated: "Following the introduction of the ban, many campervans have moved into residential streets that were never affected previously.
"This displacement has led to noise and disturbance during night-time hours, concerns about inappropriate waste disposal, competition for limited resident parking spaces, and increased tension between local residents and visitors.
"These are precisely the problems the ban sought to avoid, yet they have now been pushed into neighbourhoods where enforcement is harder, and disruption is more noticeable.
"Allowing controlled overnight parking on Marine Drive would help resolve this displacement."
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