Overnight parking ban in East Lothian coastal car parks to curb anti-social visitors
Overseas travel restrictions during the pandemic led to a rise in visitors to the region's beauty spots, according to the local authority, but there were many incidents that did not fall under "wild camping".
Wednesday 18 January 2023 20:10, UK
A ban on overnight parking in coastal car parks has been given the go ahead in an attempt to clamp down on "partying" visitors.
The temporary move in East Lothian has been made after a rise in "anti-social activities" that damaged the environment, such as fires and barbecues, littering and human waste.
The local authority said overseas travel restrictions during the pandemic led to a rise in visitors to the region's beauty spots, but there were many incidents that didn't fall under "wild camping".
Instead of travelling to camp on foot or bike and leaving no trace of their visit, many were instead arriving by vehicles such as campervans and using the car parks for overnight stays.
The council claim some people were bringing "excessive amounts of equipment" and lighting fires and barbecues in inappropriate places.
People were also said to be leaving large amounts of litter, including tents, and dumping the contents of chemical toilets as the car parks do not have the facilities to support such overnight stays.
The council added that there are important ecological sites with fragile habitats along its coast which are being put at risk as a result.
On Tuesday, plans were approved to start the statutory procedures needed to introduce and amend experimental traffic regulation orders to trial overnight parking bans at 20 sites for 18 months.
A report to the administration had found that the introduction of the ban "will deter the harmful activity and will be supported by targeted enforcement under delegated powers".
John McMillan, a councillor and spokesman for environment, economic development and tourism, said: "The new traffic regulation orders approved are for a period of 18 months only which will provide opportunities to assess effectiveness at tackling incidents of anti-social behaviour at our popular coastal sites.
"Tourism is extremely important to the local economy and the council is working with partners in the private sector to support the creation of suitable sites for campervan and motorhome visitors that provide the essential services needed for their stay."
In response to the ban, Brendan Paddy, director of Ramblers Scotland, said: "While it's a shame the council feels it must trial these new measures, we appreciate its ranger service deals with extremely high numbers of campers and the cumulative impact at hotspots is significant."
He added: "We're sure visitors will continue to camp responsibly at these popular beaches, but it will require a slightly longer walk or cycle before they pitch their tents.
"We continue to oppose parking restrictions at more remote locations in Scotland, where overnight parking is usually essential to enable multi-day trips and responsible camping in a wilder setting."
Areas of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park are subjected to wild camping byelaws.
Last week, two landowners won a High Court challenge against the right to wild camp without permission within Dartmoor National Park in Devon.
The Ramblers Association branded the decision "a huge step backward for the right of everyone to access nature".