Seaside residents urge illegal parking clampdown

Bournemouth residents are calling for action after hundreds of cars were abandoned on pavements and double yellow lines near the seafront.

Warm weather brought an influx of visitors to town's beaches on Saturday and Sunday.

There are fears the upcoming bank holiday and Air Festival will lead to even more illegal parking.

BCP Council said its powers to deal with the problems were limited and the level of fines, set by central government, was not a sufficient deterrent.

Norman Long said the parking problems get worse every year

Bournemouth resident Norman Long said: "It's terrible. I want to see more parking spaces and more wardens - they are never around.

"The buses had a job to get round the other week because all the cars were double parked - the buses had to divert."

Southbourne resident Anita Simpson said the redevelopment of houses into flats in her street and the relocation of a school at the end of the road had already exacerbated parking issues.

She said: "Twice I've seen fire engines that can't get down my road.

"Cars are double parked and on the pavement. If you were to come down in the air show, you would see cars parked on the roundabout and on double yellow lines."

Anita Simpson said people often double parked in her street

Ms Simpson said she was also concerned about BCP Council's decision to sell the clifftop car park at Southbourne Crossroads to developers.

Council leader Millie Earl said: "We have space in our local car parks but people want to park right on the seafront.

"We are really constrained in what we can do to deal with it.

"Central government sets the fine and it just doesn't work.

"Last weekend we had 30 civil enforcement officers. We'll have plenty more working on air festival weekend."

Council leader Millie Earl said parking fines were not a deterrent

Former Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood said he had previously lobbied the government to increase the penalty for illegal parking, which is currently £35 if paid within two weeks.

He said: "That's actually a bargain for a day by the sea.

"It's no deterrent and it's affecting all the residents and emergency vehicles that need to pass through."