Coastal car park no longer free as caravan toilet waste dumped

A Lincolnshire coast[1] car park will no longer be free of charge to visitors and will have a height barrier installed. The changes are designed to tackle motor caravan drivers using the car park as a free overnight stopover, or for even longer in some cases. There have also been concerns raised that chemical toilets are being dumped into Buck Beck going to the beach whilst people are using the car park[2], Marine Walk in Cleethorpes, Grimsby Live reports.[3] North East Lincolnshire Council’s ecology department has put measures in place to tackle the issue.

The beck leads to the part-designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Cleethorpes Beach. The ecology department[4] advised there was also evidence the emptying of the caravan toilets “also affected the bathing water quality, giving anomalously high readings of bacteria”. Poll – How well do you know your Lincolnshire beaches?[5]

The bathing water quality of Cleethorpes Beach was downgraded last year from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’. This resulted in the council choosing not to apply to renew its prestigious Blue Flag status. The water quality has to be excellent for a Blue Flag award.

Over the past two summers, council officers and police have used travellers’ enforcement powers to deter motor caravan owners from using the Marine Walk car park. But civil parking enforcement stops at 8pm, making it unable to stop overnight parking by camper vans and motor caravan owners. The overnight stayovers have affected availability for daytime users and this also began to happen at Thrunscoe Land car park too.

A two phase approach is planned to solve the issue. Ten designated motor caravan parking spaces will be created at Thrunscoe Land car park. These will allow for an up to 48 hours stay, with no return in seven days.

Marine Walk Car Park, Cleethorpes (Image: GrimsbyLive/Donna Clifford)

A charge for such use of GBP12 for 24 hours is proposed, in line with other local authorities.

No camping behaviour will be allowed – this includes no washing lines, tables, or cooking via barbecues or fires. In the second phase, a 2.1m maximum height barrier will be installed at Marine Walk car park entrance, movable only for emergency or waste vehicles. Charging will also be introduced at a set cost of GBP1.50 for 10 hours and will apply all-year round.

Overflow coach and bus spaces at Thrunscoe Land car park will be lost to make way for the motor caravan spaces. Coach and bus car parking will be available at Grant Street car park only. An early 2020 consultation on a seasonal parking charge at Marine Walk car park drew a mixed response.

By 37 per cent of over 400 responses to 29 per cent, more people favoured such a charge than opposed it. But there was also 147, or 34 per cent of responses, who offered no clear opinion. The loss of the Blue Flag status became a heated political subject at September full council when the opposition Labour group tried to get a motion passed calling for a stat of emergency over Grimsby and Cleethorpes water quality to be declared.

There have also been two protests by campaign group Big Wave at the beach, protesting about the water quality. At the end of March, the Environment Agency published data on the release of untreated sewage by water companies in 2022. This is allowed through storm overflows when the water system is at risk of being overwhelmed.

References

1. ^ Lincolnshire coast (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
2. ^ car park (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
3. ^ Grimsby Live reports. (www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk)
4. ^ ecology department (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
5. ^ Poll – How well do you know your Lincolnshire beaches? (xd.wayin.com)