Ban on 'freeloading' motorhomes parking overnight in three prime Yorkshire coast locations

North Yorkshire Council is proposing a trial restriction lasting up to 18 months at three locations between 11pm to 7am where the issues are most acute.

The three sites are Royal Albert Drive, on Scarborough’s North Bay; on the A174 Sandsend to Raithwaite, near Whitby; and Osgodby Hill/Filey Road, in Cayton Bay.

Members of the public have complained about motorhome occupants emptying their waste onto parking spaces, having barbeques and numbers “increasing massively year on year”.

A Scarborian wrote to the council last year to express his bewilderment over the “totally shambolic parking of motorhomes and other unsightly vehicles”.

He said he had counted upwards of 75 motorhomes on one summer’s night, adding: “It breaks my heart to see how things have deteriorated to the point where a walk around the Drive is like visiting an illegal campsite”.

Another blamed the “recent craze” on a Facebook group, which had seen hundreds of motorhome owners searching for free “stopovers” with “a flagrant disregard to the law”.

A third complained that some people had been camping for months at Cayton Bay, and despite complaints “nothing is done and it all just looks like a traveller camp”.

A survey carried out over the early May Bank Holiday weekend found 210 vehicles, which may have stayed a night or two.

The vast majority – 132 – were parked up on Royal Albert Drive. The areas were previously restricted between 2012 and 2015.

There have also been concerns about motorhomes parking up close to each other when fire safety regulations say they should be six metres apart.

Most motorhomes carry liquified natural gas for cooking.

Coun Keane Duncan said: “We know how important the tourist economy is to the Yorkshire coast and motorhomes are as welcome to park on the seafront as any other vehicle during the day.

"However, extended stays, which usually include significant numbers of motorhomes parking overnight, are causing issues for nearby residents and are posing a serious safety hazard.”

He said the “the scale of overnight parking in these hotspot locations” showed action was needed.

Coun Keane added: “We have also factored in the increasing level of complaints to the council, police and fire service. We believe a trial restriction between certain hours is the next step to tackle these issues and, if introduced, the public will be able to share their views before a decision is made on whether to make it permanent.”

The council has looked at charging motorhomes for parking overnight, but say it wouldn’t help solve the issues. They also don’t want to compete with the many campsites in the area.

A decision on the ban will be made at a meeting on Friday.