DISCUSSIONS have begun to find a long-term solution to prevent drivers parking and camping on a beach at Norman’s Bay.
Throughout the summer, the number of people illegally parking and camping on the beach at Herbrand Walk, some of them for weeks at a time, has increased dramatically.
Recently Rother District Council officers worked with Sussex Police, NES enforcement staff, East Sussex County Council parking enforcement, the Environment Agency and their contractors Pevensey Coastal Defence Ltd to clear the beach and allow vital sea defence work to be carried out to help protect properties during the October storms.
A total of 24 caravans and vehicles parked on the beach contrary to byelaws and other legislation were moved on.
Most left voluntarily when asked and further enforcement action was taken on others, including issuing fixed penalty notices.
Much of the beach at Herbrand Walk is in private ownership and these landowners have a responsibility to prevent trespass on their land.
The agencies are now working together to try and find long-term solutions to prevent trespass onto the beach in the future.
Councillor Jimmy Stanger, from the Rother Community Safety Partnership, said: “It was good to see all the agencies working together to resolve this urgent problem in October, and we are grateful to East Sussex County Councillor Nuala Geary for her involvement, but this took considerable resources. We need to find practical solutions to stop this happening next year.”
