Tensions between locals and visitors are reaching tenterhooks in a UK seaside town with residents becoming increasingly fed up with “lazy and ignorant” parking. Furious locals living near Marske-by-the-sea, a beautiful sandy beach situated between Redcar and Saltburn, have had enough of motorists opting to park their cars on the beach before enjoying their day at the seaside.
Branding visitors as “selfish”, Marske councillor Dr Tristan Learoyd said nearly 10 vehicles drove onto the beach last weekend. He says this is not only “highly disrespectful” but also “endangers lives”. He believes the long sandy beach is “rapidly becoming a car park for lazy, ignorant and selfish visitors”.
Speaking at a council meeting, he said: “This last weekend at least nine off road vehicles drove over 100 metres beyond the opening of the slipway to park up and have a day at the seaside.
“This behaviour is not only highly disrespectful to one of our borough’s areas of beauty, but endangers the lives of those enjoying the beach.”
In a bid to prevent visitors parking on their beloved beach, Cllr Learoyd says motorists should be hit with a “significant fine” as a deterrent.
He added: “Every Marske councillor has been fighting this for a long period of time – Cllr King since about 2015 and it has become increasingly worse.”
The beautiful beach in Marske is part of an eight mile golden stretch from the mouth of the River Tees to Saltburn.
Marske-by-the-sea is found just four miles from the centre of Redcar and about 2.4 miles from Saltburn. The beach is often quieter than the beaches in the nearby towns and boasts independent eateries and local shops.
It appears this issue is not new with fellow Marske councillor Karen King saying she was copied into an e-mail thread on the matter “going back months and months”
The town is now “looking at signage” and “using social media channels to deliver a strong message” to stop people parking on the beach, according to Cllr Brown.