Concerns raised about reduced capacity in coastal car park as visitor numbers increase

Calls have been made for parking issues at the Beadnell Bay car park to be tackled.
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Concerns about overnight parking and a business’s use of the overflow parking area were raised at a meeting of Beadnell Parish Council.

An email read to members expressed concerns about the space taken up by the retail container and the impact on other beach users.

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Coun Adrian Baker, speaking at the meeting during the mini-heatwave last month, said: “The place was absolutely rammed today and this use of the overflow car park by the trader is not helping.”

The overflow car park in Beadnell.The overflow car park in Beadnell.
The overflow car park in Beadnell.

Coun Guy Renner-Thompson, local member on Northumberland County Council, said: “I know it was permitted by parking services. It was done primarily because they didn’t want the businesses crowding around the entrance to the beach, with social distancing requirements etc.”

Reports of overnight parking, illegal during the lockdown period, were made by Coun Jen Hall.

“There were several there last Saturday night,” she said.

Coun Renner-Thompson said: “The only way to stop it is putting height barriers up but it’s such an open space that you’d have to put fencing up to stop them getting over the grass so it would be quite a big job.”

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Parish councillors called for clarity on who has responsibility for the car park.

“The one thing that’s become very apparent to me in the last couple of months is that there isn’t much coordination about the parking area,” said chairman, Coun Alison Nation.

Coun Baker added: “We need to know that something can be done.”

Coun Renner-Thompson agreed and said he would report back on the issue to the July meeting.

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“It’s not very coordinated and I have the same problem about who you go to talk to,” he admitted. “Beadnell (car park) has so many different things going on that different council departments are responsible for different bits.”

He also revealed that Iain Robson of the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership is working on a plan to remedy some of the issues. He has offered some of his small schemes funding towards the work.

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