Tensions rise as motorhomes ignore parking ban on beach

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Motorhomes and campervans regularly park on a Welsh beach ignoring the risk of a £50 fine because 'they know they can get away with it,' locals have claimed. Residents in Morfa Bychan, near Porthmadog, have become increasing annoyed at the number of vehicles spending the night illegally on Black Rock Sands.

A Freedom of Information request has now confirmed what they long suspected, reports NorthWalesLive. Since a night gate was installed on the beach entry road in 2018, not a single fine has ever been issued.

Gwynedd Council took action to curb the activities of overnight campers amid claims motorhome toilets were being emptied in the dunes, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It erected a sign warning £50 fixed penalty notices would be imposed “as damages for trespass”.

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According to the council, more than 150 vehicles were being parked on the beach overnight, posing a health and safety issue. Although overnighting numbers have since fallen, 62 motorhomes and tents pitched up on the beach on the August Bank Holiday Monday.

“Some weekends there can be 40 or 50 campervans, motorhomes and tents on the beach,” said Helen Leeder, 43, a quality manager at Natural Resources Wales. "Surely they can’t all be taking a chance and hoping not to be fined? Six days out of seven I’m on the beach at 6am and some days it’s alarming to see just how many vehicles are parked up there.”

Although the beach gate is locked during the tourism season at 8pm, residents claim scores of vehicles remain on the sand knowing they won’t be penalised. To see if this was the case, Helen fired off an FoI request to North Wales Police