Our ‘dream’ seaside view is blocked by wall of white caravans parked along coast… but we have a plan to make them pay
FURIOUS residents on a seaside street in Britain pay a premium to watch travellers dump human waste outside their homes.
Campervans, caravans and motorhomes are a common sight along coastal towns across the country, but more so in Morecambe, Lancashire.
It may be home to the Gypsy King, boxing legend Tyson Fury, but the mobile homes have become somewhat of a pest.
Two-and-a-half years ago Philip Dodds bought what he thought was his dream beachfront home on Marine Road East, in Bare, with sweeping views of Morecambe Bay – only to discover the view is seasonally restricted.
I asked someone that was parked right outside our house could they reverse up the street because there was a lot of space, and he said ‘it’s not got your name on why should I move it?
Sally Crabtree
The 70-year-old told The Sun: “Last week the caravans pulled up here then at 7am in the morning, they get the toilets out and dumped it down the grid.
“We thought we were getting our dream home so we’ve done it all up just to look out at caravans parked opposite from us all summer.
“They’ve not got any respect, they throw their rubbish out and leave it – fortunately there’s an old lady that comes around and picks up all the litter in the morning.”
It is not just campers that block the view, a Hermes truck was parked directly outside his home too.
He explained how lorry drivers frequently park their HGVs on the street as they await ferries from Heysham Port.
The pensioner added: “They’re parking up at 6 o’clock evening time staying all night, then in the morning pouring their urine down the grids – litter everywhere when they’ve gone.”
To add to the frustration, Mr Dodd’s property falls under council tax band E – a premium compared to homes away from the sea front.
And, the disgusted local is not the only one to have witnessed motorhome owners disposing of their toilet waste down the grids.
An elderly man who told The Sun he wished to remain anonymous, said: “They park over these grids here all the time, they park over the grids so they can get out and pour their waste down the drains.
“It isn’t just people driving by, it’s people who actually live in Morecambe and they don’t want to park their campervan outside their own home so they park it outside of ours.
“We were sat outside to look at the sunset and we couldn’t see it at all because we had a 15ft long campervan directly outside our house.
I get their frustration because they pay higher council tax for the view and it gets blocked by caravans
Anonymous dogwalker
“We posted about it on Facebook and people were saying ‘why don’t you walk over the road’, yeah climb over a three-foot wall – we’re in our 70s.”
He continued: “They get quite nasty on Facebook saying we’re privileged but really, we’ve worked all our lives to get here and now this has happened.
“It’s gotten worse definitely but I don’t think it’s an issue that bothers people away from the sea front because a woman started a petition to take it to the council but she only got 300 signatures and needed 500.”
‘IT’S A NIGHTMARE’
While an anonymous dogwalker added: “It’s a nightmare, if they don’t park on the beachfront, they park on the side streets where I live – I have to park my car two streets away from my house at times.
“I get their frustration because they pay higher council tax for the view and it gets blocked by caravans.”
Another mischievous dogwalker added: ‘I’ve a mind to take a midnight stroll and scatter some bread on the top of the campervans – they’d get a right dawn chorus of seagulls pecking on the roof eating the bread. They need to be discouraged as it’s spoiling the view.”
David Morris, Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, was on the doorstep when The Sun ran into him.
Morecambe promenade parking restrictions
AT present, there are no parking restrictions in place at either end of the promenade - but the majority of the beachfront is double yellow lines.
It makes an ideal spot for those looking to set up in their mobile homes for the night.
The area has been hailed on websites such as park4night.com because of its availability.
“Good spot, easily got parked in the evening,” praised one.
“Stayed two nights, lovely sea view! Fab little seaside town, perfect for us,” commented another.
A third added: “Lots of space and free with no restrictions.”
Someone else shared: “Free parking on the road day and night with sea view. Obvious road noise but ok, can’t complain for free with a sea view!! Well done Morecambe.”
He said: “It’s been an ongoing issue, I’ve raised it with the county council on many occasions.”
Mr Morris, who has held his seat for the last 14 years and hopes to for another term when voters go to the polls for the general election on July 4th, explained that Lancashire County Council own the highways.
It falls on the authority to introduce parking restrictions, he added.
The MP continued: “It’s owned by the county council and it’s not been double yellowed so people are entitled to park there, they are within their rights and they pay tax.
It’s annoying because they always used to park down the road but the council put boulders there so they couldn’t park there
Sally Crabtree
“It’s an ongoing issue because nothing has been done to restrict it, I think that will come – some sort of restrictive parking, I think they’re just waiting to see what happens with Eden Project North.”
The Eden Project is a £100m eco-tourism attraction set to open in Morecambe in 2027 – similar to Cornwall’s Southern equivalent.
Lancashire County Council was contacted for comment.
PARKING ROWS
Sally Crabtree lives with her mum in their semi-detached home overlooking the beach.
The 54-year-old once found herself in a confrontation when she politely asked a motorist to move their car so her elderly mum could enjoy the view – something that she would not have had to do if she lived a matter of metres to the right, where double yellow lines are in place.
She said: “It can be annoying especially in the summer because they come with caravans and park straight outside our house and then we can’t see anything.
There are a couple of car parks that say no overnight parking and it’s ridiculous because it’s empty, and you can see the sea so we would pay to park there
Ann Staniland
“I asked someone that was parked right outside our house could they reverse up the street because there was a lot of space, and he said ‘it’s not got your name on why should I move it?’.
“It’s annoying because they always used to park down the road but the council put boulders there so they couldn’t park there.”
Miss Crabtree explained that she enquired to the council about having a disabled bay painted in front of her home but due to the cost and the fact that anyone with a blue badge can park on it, she decided against it.
‘IT’S RIDICULOUS’
While fuming locals are up in arms, caravan owners searching for a space to park up argue they are “injecting life” into the area.
Ann Staniland was passing through the town from Sheffield when she parked up on the coastal road.
The 72-year-old retired nurse said: “I can appreciate that people who have bought a home on the seaside feel they are missing a view, most people don’t want to tread on people’s toes and it’s the same for people travelling through – it’s the people passing through like us who are injecting life into places like this.
“There are a couple of car parks that say no overnight parking and it’s ridiculous because it’s empty, and you can see the sea so we would pay to park there.
“If you have a caravan fair enough you need to be on a campsite but the whole point of a campervan is being independent.”
Meanwhile, YouTuber Helen Blenkinsopp, who has an account under the name Roaming in Raymond Motorhome Adventures, slept overnight on the road in her camper.
But, sympathising with the residents, the 54-year-old Brummie said: “I can understand because obviously if I lived here then I would want to see a nice view.
“When you go to bed and it’s dark if people are parked outside then you can’t see anything anyway so I think that’s fine, but if people are here for three or four days then I understand.
“There are cars parked here that my campervan isn’t much bigger than.”
Meanwhile, “easy going” local Andrea Kirk admitted while the issue is “strange” it doesn’t really bother her.
The 74-year-old, who has lived in the area for 34 years, said: “It’s a bit strange but I can’t say I’m really bothered; I do look at some of them and hope they aren’t casing my house.
“I don’t think there’s enough parking for them to park to be honest, but it is annoying when the big one’s park outside my house because you can’t see a blinking thing.
“It’s not good hearing that they use the toilet here, but again the council shut the public toilets down nearby and haven’t opened them up.”
Mrs Kirk added: “It’s always worse in the summer but I’m quite easy going.”