Councillors and residents were left fuming after the sunny weather caused chaotic scenes in coastal areas across Sunderland over the weekend. Conservative councillors said rubbish was "spilling out of bins" and said residents were complaining about "dangerous and obstructive" parking over the weekend in Roker and Seaburn.
The councillors claimed the bins were not being emptied and rubbish was piling up around bins and spilling onto roads due to the influx of visitors to Sunderland's stunning coastline. They said road safety concerns were also raised by residents who reported instances of dangerous, obstructive and unlawful parking across the area, with some visitors abandoning their vehicles on grassed verges.
Marine Walk in Roker was also badly affected by motorists parking their vehicles on double yellow lines across the length of the road. The councillors have since slammed Sunderland City Council for "failing to adequately pre-empt road safety and waste management issues" during one of the hottest and busiest weekends of the year so far. They also said there is inadequate parking provision in the area.
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However, in response, the council said bins were monitored and emptied several times a day during summer and sunny weekends and that Civil Enforcement Officers were operating in the north of the city over the weekend, including along the seafront on Saturday. It also said that several penalty charge notices were issued.
St Peter's councillor Joshua McKeith said: "It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying our fantastic seaside, however the lack of council attention has not gone unnoticed. In Roker we have seen illegal parking which has been unsafe, to my frustration when I asked if a parking enforcement officer could attend, I was told that there were no parking officers on duty. This council needs to better prepare to safeguard visitors and our environment.
"With high profile events coming to the area in the coming months such as the baton relay and triathlon, I will be writing to the council to demand that these frequent problems are not repeated. These issues are plaguing our residents and harming the environment."
The councillors said litter found its way to the sea shore and bins were left "absolutely overflowing" with rubbish. They said they called the council's emergency control room on Saturday afternoon outlining the problems and again on Sunday, but said the requests were "largely ignored" and neither additional cleansing nor traffic warden staff were deployed.
Fulwell councillor Michael Hartnack said: "I am extremely concerned about Sunderland City Council's continuous failure to properly manage our coastal resorts. With major disruptive works being undertaken in the peak summer period, a failure to have a fit-for-purpose waste management process and parking and other enforcement staff not working over a predictably busy weekend, I am left with a feeling that this council simply doesn’t care about when it schedules major works and neither does it care about matching staffing deployment with public need."
A statement from Sunderland City Council said: "Alongside the popular Summer Streets festival at Cliffe Park, thousands of residents and visitors took advantage of the good weather and visited the seafront and many other public spaces over the weekend. Bins are monitored and emptied several times a day during summer and sunny weekends. Thanks to everyone for their patience and for disposing of their waste appropriately.
"Civil Enforcement Officers were deployed in the north of the city over the weekend, including along the seafront on Saturday, and several penalty charge notices were issued. Other motorists received advice on their parking and residents or businesses concerned that access to a public highway is being blocked can contact the police."
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