Nuisance-plagued Beach Road car park in Lee-on-the-Solent will stay open

Last night, Gosport Borough Council’s community board debated methods of mitigating antisocial behaviour in the Beach Road car park.

The car park, on the south side of Marine Parade East, Lee-on-Solent, has been a nuisance hotspot since 2014.

John White, Lee resident and spokesperson for victims Action Group said in his deputation that the car park has turned into a drive-in nightclub.

'Residents quality of life has been severely impacted by anti-social behaviour since the car park reopened at night in 2014,' he said.

‘Drivers demonstrate their skills by performing doughnuts, wheelies, hand brake turns, then screech to a sudden halt, often cheered on by onlookers providing a cacophony of noise.

‘The car park is not safe at night with a serious accident waiting to happen - is this why so few people choose to park cars there overnight?

‘There have been incidents of air rifles being used to target residents' properties, the report states that there is no indication that these incidents were linked to the car park... really?

‘Car parks in the borough are budgeted to make a profit of £464,000 for 20/21. This may explain why money is being constantly thrown at Beach Road car park to defend the council’s unbusinesslike one-fits-all open car park policy.

‘It had been closed nightly since 2006 following a community trigger review, an important precedent which is not mentioned in the report.’

The report recommends using improved lighting, CCTV and planting a hedge adjacent to Marine Parade East to stop headlights from shining into properties, the costs will be somewhere between £23,000 to 28,000 not including maintenance fees.

The report also recommends not closing the car park at night as the cost of doing so would be approximately £34,000.

Cllr Piers Bateman said that locking the car park will not get rid of the problem but just move it elsewhere.

‘We would certainly deny the nearly 700 annual permit holders unfettered access, they have that right, it is a contractual right.

‘At present, that car park is pitch black at night and quite clearly if one remembers one's own misspent youth, that's what attracts night-time cruisers to the car park.

‘I don’t think I can call myself to have been blameless in my youngest years, I hate to say it and I wouldn't want it noted but I regard some of these people as mere amateurs.

‘Personally, forgive me for saying so but where the money’s tight I would have edged towards having the lights first, see what that does and then implement the cameras.’

Cllr Jamie Hutchinson disagreed, saying: ‘You go on about money being tight but you’re willing to risk that this sticking plaster which is going to cost us a lot of money is going to work.

‘The measures you’re looking at are a gamble, now if you understand young people that will not deter them from going into a car park.

‘Reading this report, I am slightly annoyed that it’s been directed towards keeping that car park open.

‘Quoting £34,000 to close a car park at night and open it in the morning is absolutely ridiculous, I don't know where that figure has come from.

‘If we close the entry but maintain the exit with the footpath etc then the problem will disappear. What we’re doing now is gambling with taxpayers money and it’s a lot of money and it’s going to be a lot of maintenance.’