Motorhomes permanently banned from staying overnight at Hayling Island car park

The decision from Havant Borough Council’s cabinet follows a temporary ban at the West Beach car park that began in August, 2018.

More than 4,000 people previously signed a petition to overturn the restriction but it was rejected by councillors amid safety concerns.

The authority said motorhomes frequently parked too close together at the site and posed potentially ‘serious’ risks in the event of a fire.

Councillor Narinder Bains, the council’s cabinet lead for neighbourhoods, safety and enforcement, said: ‘West Beach is an incredibly popular destination for visitors, but the increase in overnight parking by motorhomes were becoming a growing concern.

‘Our visitors and residents safety is paramount at all times and we want to ensure everyone gets to enjoy the seafront safely.

‘We have considered several other options that could be available, however none of these were viable.

‘The island has a number of sites better suited to overnight stays in motorhomes and we would encourage visitors to use these facilities.’

Cabinet heard ‘about 300' parking tickets have been issued at West Beach since the temporary ban, but council officers insisted the frequency of them had dropped.

Addressing a meeting this week, council leader Michael Wilson said permitting overnight stays at the site could bring in £16,000 per year.

But this would be dwarfed by preparation and management costs which could amount to £300,000 – taking decades to pay off.

On the provision of overnight sites managed by other councils, councillor Narinder Bains, cabinet lead for neighbourhoods, safety and enforcement, said: ‘Speaking extremely frankly, I really don’t care what other local authorities are doing.

‘My interests are in what Havant Borough Council is doing and my emphasis is safety, safety safety.’

Cllr Wilson added: ‘I have sympathy for the people who have enjoyed staying overnight there, but as a resident, going down there various times, we know that’s just not self-regulating in a way that’s safe.'

The new permanent ban comes after motorhome owners said they had ‘hope in the long run’ a solution could be reached.

A spokeswoman for the campaign to overturn the ban, dubbed Saying No to the Ban on Overnight Parking on West Beach, Hayling Island, branded councillors’ decision ‘short sighted’ and claimed it would cause local businesses to ‘suffer’.

She added: ‘Our campaign has gone beyond being just a motorhome issue and we are now concerned about the future of West Beach.

‘This affects everyone who uses the beach and has businesses connected with beach.

‘We now have a common concern for the future of this beautiful natural resource and our campaign will now be focused on that.’

It comes as the beauty spot faces the threat of coastal erosion, with sections closed off to public access.