Residents of a picturesque clifftop area in Folkestone, Kent, are at their wits’ end as holidaymakers in campervans block their driveways and leave behind human waste. The Leas locals have reported that nuisance parking is an ongoing issue, with tourists staying for several nights and parking indiscriminately.
Folkestone and Hythe District Council already has a public space protection order (PSPO) in place banning unlawful camping on Metropole Road West, but it appears to be ineffective. In response to the complaints, the council is planning to extend the existing PSPO and investigate the matter further.
Peter Oughton, 71, a local resident, said: “It’s always busy during the summer months and I appreciate that.” He added, “But the problems we get are sometimes rubbish is thrown into our gardens.” He also revealed, “We’ve had human waste and bottles of urine, all just popped over the fence.”
The situation is made worse by parking restrictions on The Leas, where campervans are prohibited between midnight and 7am. Mr Oughton, who has lived in the road for seven years, suggested: “I think parking permits or a pay meter would be a good addition.”
Residents in a local neighbourhood are up in arms over parking chaos, with one long-term resident, Odyeseas Loizou, calling for urgent action after 40 years of witnessing the problem. The 90 year old lamented: “It’s a terrible problem. Several times, the backs of cars have been blocking my driveway.”
He added, “We pay our council tax, our bills, but sometimes I can’t even get out of my own home.” and suggested, “People just seem to park wherever they like. They need to add double yellow lines, that’s the only way they’ll stop this.” During a recent Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) meeting, Cllr Polly Blakemore acknowledged the issue, stating: “I recognise that we do have an issue of parked motorhomes in Metropole Road West and it’s a long-standing one.” She also noted, “The issues you have highlighted have as much to do with environmental crime as they do with parking.”
Cllr Blakemore informed that the environmental crime team has been monitoring the situation following complaints and encouraged residents to report problems through the council’s website. She clarified, “So far we have not found evidence of human waste, rubbish deposited on private land and associated problems but we do continue to patrol the area.”
Additionally, Cllr Blakemore mentioned that parking permit restrictions have been implemented in some nearby roads to alleviate the situation. She remarked: “It was decided to include an overnight motor caravan ban after receiving several representations from residents about visitors with motorhomes occupying the limited parking spaces for several weeks or even months at a time.
“If we receive specific reports from the environmental team that they are unable to address issues such as long-term parking of motorhomes in Metropole Road West we will be able to consider the introduction of new restrictions.” Recently, proposals have been put forward to renew and expand the current Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to encompass roads near the beach in Hythe, including Princes Parade, Twiss Road, South Road, and West Parade.
The proposal for extension received the green light from FHDC’s cabinet in a meeting last month and is now poised for a six-week public consultation period. During the council meeting, it was highlighted that officers have encountered challenges in dealing with illegal camping activities akin to those on Metropole Road West.
Councillor Tim Prater stated: “If someone sleeps in a campervan overnight on holiday, that is an offence under the PSPO.” He further explained: “If the team is notified that someone has been there for a number of nights and it is causing a problem, like using a space right outside someone’s home, then they can be moved on.” He also noted: “Clearly, there may have to be a different response if the person is homeless and that’s the only place they can sleep tonight.
“So I fully understand the difficulties the enforcement team have between people just popping down for a few nights in a local road overlooking somebody’s house and those sleeping in a campervan, as it is their only option. If their only other option is to sleep under a hedge, then sleep in the damn van and we should be dealing with that through the housing team and in a different way.” But fellow Lib Dem Cllr Gary Fuller questioned whether there could be a sharper response to the situation.
He suggested: “The impression I’m getting when I’m speaking to people is what they really want is a much shorter process for moving people along where it’s right to do so. They’re not so much worried about the prosecution rate so much as the continued presence. So if our approach with the PSPO can continue to try to deal with the problem by effectively stopping it from happening rather than worrying about a watertight conviction, then I think that’s much more of a winner from the public’s point of view.”
The original PSPO, effective across areas stretching from Folkestone to Dungeness, was introduced in 2019 and later renewed after three years – however, its validity is approaching its expiry date this coming June. Moreover, the PSPO doesn’t just cover unlawful camping; it also targets antisocial behavior related to alcohol, substance misuse, spitting, urinating or defecating, begging, disruptive busking, and unlicensed street collections. Cllr Fuller stated emphatically, “This should prove a useful lever for us to have to ensure that the district’s residents are safe and feel comfortable in their district.”