New 8pm to 8am parking ban kicks in for thousands of Brits – will YOU be impacted?
DRIVERS have been issued a warning after a new overnight parking ban kicks in for thousands of Brits.
The new regulations will see motorists banned between 8pm and 8am at a popular tourist location following local concerns.
Hampshire City Council has banned motorhomes and campervans from resting in Keyhaven.
The new restrictions come after visitors flocking to the holiday hotspot have been leaving the area in a state.
It has led to local concerns with county councillor highlighting a a massive spike in campervan numbers flocking to Keyhaven post-Covid.
County Counillor, Fran Carpenter, told Birmingham Live she visited ” a few days ago” and reported seeing “visible litter in the salt marsh”.
She said: “Campervans, some bigger than buses, were parked as far as the eye could see.
“A van selling souvenirs and an Uber Eats car blocked the road while dropping off pizzas.”
Councillor, Lulu Bowerman, Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Passenger Transport, warned there was a clear impact of having the larger vehicles in the area.
“There are no public facilities overnight for parking, and campers use the local land, and many residents have asked for these controls to be introduced,” she said.
Bowerman explained “the new proposal will manage the situation”.
“I think the scheme would bring order to this particular beautiful part of Hampshire, and I think it’s very necessary to maintain full accessible travel at all times.”
Additionally, she mentioned a “modest charge” in the area, which falls in line with similar locations, will deliver broader benefits to visitors.
It will also help with the upkeep of the ecologically delicate area.
New Pay and Display arrangements will be introduced at New Lane and Saltgrasss Lane, Keyhaven.
The charges have been set at £1 per hour, up to a maximum stay of all day, operating Monday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
But as part of the new traffic management arrangements, motorhomes and campervans won’t be able to park between 8am and 8pm.
In a council press release, Bowerman said: “Proposals to introduce parking charges on two seafront roads in Keyhaven stem from local concerns about unrestricted parking, resulting in an increase of overnight stays by motorhomes and campervans.
“This has led to littering and other anti-social issues linked to camping activities for which the location is unsuited.
“Introducing parking charges enables the County Council to curb overnight parking more effectively and to encourage a quicker turnaround of daytime parking so more people can enjoy this popular location.
“We have carefully looked at the feedback received through two rounds of consultation and believe that on balance, a modest charge in line with those in place at similar locations, will deliver broader benefits to visitors whilst importantly, supporting the management of this ecologically sensitive site.”
The new charging scheme is expected to be introduced later this year.
A change to parking rules at Southeastern railway stations also caught drivers off guard in February.
The new regulation saw a “pay and display” machines scrapped in favour of Automatic Number Plate Recognition with drivers now having to pay for their parking online.
The move was designed to be “quicker and easier” for motorists who previously had to walk to the machine and back to their car to display their ticket.