A popular beauty spot was deserted by motorhome owners after new overnight parking charges came into force.
The area around New Brighton ’s Coastal Drive, adjacent to the Dips, is a popular destination for campervan and motorhomes, with people travelling from all over the country to stay overnight.
But the introduction of an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO) by Wirral Council in recent weeks has caused outrage among some motorhome owners, who say it has put them off visiting the area all together. The new charges came into force on Friday, July 8, and mean drivers must now pay £20 to park on a stretch of Coastal Drive overnight.
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The ECHO understands that the intention of the new charges is to better control where larger vehicles and motorhomes can park in order to remove obstruction on the public road, which is a statutory duty for local authorities. It is also understood that the new ETRO is expected to improve waste management in the area and help the authorities enforce the public space protection order in place at the New Brighton Dips.
When the ECHO visited the area this week all but one motorhome was parked on Coastal Drive where dozens usually would be. James Crook, 54, and his wife Tracy, 53, have been visiting New Brighton from their home in North Wales since 2008, where they regularly spend a few days in their campervan, going for walks along the promenade and visiting local businesses.
However, James said the new overnight charges have “put a strain” on the frequency of the visits they will make to the area going forward. James told the ECHO: “To be honest £20 is far too expensive for no facilities whatsoever.
“I think they’ve put so much money into erecting signs [about the charges] every 20-30 metres which must have cost a fortune. Instead, all they had to do is mark a few bays up and say ‘this is motorhome parking only’ and this is £10 to park.”
Wirral Council said the ETRO, which is in place for a period of 18 months, will be kept under regular review and can be amended if necessary. Back in October 2020, the ECHO reported that councillors had agreed a suitable site for campervans in Wirral was needed following reports of “foul smells” and "unsavoury businesses” causing health and environmental issues for locals in New Brighton.
The council said they are continuing to "investigate the viability of providing a dedicated, serviced site in the area for touring vehicles" as a longer-term solution to the issues. James said his campervan, which he renovated himself for £5,500, is kitted out with a shower, a toilet and other facilities which means it can store waste until he returns home and disposes of it.
During his visits to the Dips, the 54-year-old said he has seen a “small minority” of people emptying their toilet water and dirty dish water into drains and having a shower with a towel wrapped around them outside.
He said: “It’s a very small minority who have done that, and in life in everything you do you will always have that. I think the council has been under pressure for quite a while by residents to move the motorhomes because some of them don’t move anywhere, they’ve parked there for weeks and weeks on end.
"Putting a charge like they have into the Dips is only going to push people who still want to go to New Brighton to park in residential areas now which is going to became a nuisance to people who live there. I honestly feel that the council has put the charge in to basically get rid of anyone that’s parking with a motorhome.
"I think they’ve just decided to eradicate the whole idea of camping at New Brighton." A survey carried out by CAMPRA of 8,956 motorhome owners in September 2020 found that 92 per cent would be happy to pay £5 to park in their motorhome or campervan overnight in the UK and 96% would pay £10 with a service point.
Wirral Council told the ECHO this week there have been no parking fines issued in the area that is subject to the overnight parking charges since the order came in on Friday, July 8. However, 25 penalty charge notices for illegal parking have been issued elsewhere in the wider New Brighton area in that time.
Motorhome owner Wayne Massey, who typically visits New Brighton eight times a year, said the overnight charges have put him off returning to the area as he called on the council to reassess them. Wayne, 56, said: "We have visited New Brighton on average eight occasions each year for the last nine years, usually staying for two to three nights, but we have spent the odd week there too with our grandsons who absolutely love the beach and activities in the town.
"Being retired, we regularly tour France, Spain and Portugal during the winter months and nearly all towns and villages have motorhome Aires (basically a parking area on the edge of town.) They provide toilet emptying facilities, fresh water and some even electricity for those who need it, and charge on average €10 (£8.40) because the local councils understand the benefits that motorhome tourism brings to the local community.
"I think the new parking charges are absolutely ridiculous, £20 to park on a street per night when you have already spent over £70,000 on a self contained vehicle, you leave no trace of being there and you are generating income for local businesses.
"I think the local council really need to take a step back and reassess their policy, just because a few local residents living in the flats overlooking the Dips think motorhomes are spoiling their views (and judging by the comments on the Facebook forum it is only a few), motorhome owners vising the area are not only cleaning it but they are putting a lot of money into the local community."
A spokesperson for Wirral Council said: “This is an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), in place for a period of 18 months. As such it will be kept under regular review and can be amended if necessary. As with any new ETRO, people can express their views about it to the council within the first six months of its implementation.
“They can do this online at www.wirral.gov.uk/highways, or in writing to Simon Fox, Interim Director Highways & Streetscene, PO Box 290, Brighton Street, Wallasey, Wirral CH27 9FQ. Quote the scheme reference number TO/22/07."
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