Overnight parking ‘ban’ in North York Moors sparks outcry

North York Moors National Park Authority, which manages the 553-square-mile park, confirmed they had erected “no overnight parking” signs from late 2024 into 2025 at Rosedale Bank Top, Blakey Bank Top and Hutton Common at the request of landowner Spaunton Estate.

It also put up signs in the past at Danby Beacon, which is famous for its panoramic views of the moors and the sea, on land owned by Dawnay Estates.

There are permanent signs at various points along the moorland road between Egton Bridge and Rosedale Abbey put up by the landowner.

In a statement the park clarified that there's no general ban on overnight parking, after a social media post by a landscape photographer expressed disappointment at the restrictions and sparked a debate with 1,200 people commenting.

Some saw it as an "attack on freedom" with others saying it sent out the wrong message to people wanting to take a staycation: "Welcome to Yorkshire but don't bring a motorhome".

However others raised the issue of recent wild fires “caused by idiots using disposable barbecues and not taking litter home with them”.

Owner of Spaunton Estates George Winn-Darley told The Yorkshire Post that some of the signs had been pulled down, presumably by someone as a “means of expressing their displeasure”, and they’d been replaced three times.

His principal concerns were the wildfire risk, littering and the tendency to attract anti-social behaviour. Last year’s 40-day Landgdale Moor fire is believed to have been caused by someone cooking using a campfire or gas burner.

Issues included people defecating around the car parks and a small number using narcotics and “disposing of the paraphernalia out of the window before they depart.”

Mr Winn-Darley said there’s been a huge growth in the number of people visiting in motor homes and camper vans, with those in motor homes probably the least likely to cause problems as they had self-contained facilities: “The irresponsible ones can cause a huge amount of problems. The Langdale fire is probably the best example on the North York Moors.

"People doing what they think they like to do and not applying reasonable common sense or being responsible and costing everybody else a huge amount.

"The solution to the problem is providing proper facilities for overnight parking. There’s a shortage of facilities but I don’t run with the argument they do that for free.

"You wouldn’t expect to go to any other environment and expect to stay overnight for free.”

NYMNPA director of recreation and wellbeing Joel Brookfield said: “It is trying to ensure everybody is able to use the space effectively and there’s not too much impact on the landscape, the special qualities of the national park. When there’s 25 caravans placed in a very prominent spot it has a significant detrimental effect on what are the special qualities of the national park.”

It was up to the landowner to take action for trespass. If it happened in one of their car parks they’d try to engage with whoever was camping. “Legal action is always the last resort and something you reach for when all other options are failed.”