Visitors parking illegally at Formby beach could see their cars towed away under plans being considered by Sefton Council.
Parking near the beach has become a major problem, especially on sunny days, with drivers visiting Formby leaving their cars on double yellow lines, grass verges and even residents’ driveways.
In response, Formby councillor David Irving has proposed giving Sefton Council more power to deal with people parking illegally, including the ability to tow their cars away.
Putting forward his plans at a council meeting on Thursday night (April 22), Cllr Irving said: “People here dread the summer season.”
He said: “Formby has suffered immensely due to the numbers of people that arrive there at various peak times.
“There is limited parking in the nature reserve and the residential properties have been built right up to it. This has resulted in the area being covered with various types of yellow line restrictions, all of which try to prevent unwarranted illegal parking.
“It has got that bad that roads have been completely blocked with parked cars which cannot allow emergency vehicles to pass. Vehicles double park on grass verges, roundabouts, single and double yellow lines, on the corner of junctions as well as people’s driveways.”
Currently, there is little the council can do to stop people parking illegally except issue a £30 fine, which Conservative leader Cllr Tony Brough said many viewed as worth paying for a day out at the seaside.
Cllr Brough, supporting the proposals, said: “For many drivers who are out for the day with their family, they arrive at one of our gateways, they’ve got a choice. If they can’t park legally, they will park illegally.
“The view is £30 for a day out, I’ll take that.”
Although Cllr Irving’s motion only commits the council to investigate giving itself the power to tow illegally parked cars, rather than actually implement the policy, his proposals received widespread support from councillors of all parties.
Labour’s Cllr Nina Killen said the problem had been “getting worse each year and at times it’s intolerable”.
She also suggested even just the threat of towing illegally parked cars would make a difference, adding: “You can put yellow lines everywhere but if drivers just ignore them, the yellow lines are just useless in that situation.
“It doesn’t help those residents who are stuck at home.”
Only Cllr Simon Shaw of the Liberal Democrats expressed misgivings about the proposal, asking whether towing away cars was something local authorities should be doing.
However, he said he would not vote against Cllr Irving’s motion as it was only about investigating the possibility of more powers.
Cllr Irving’s motion passed unanimously, with Labour councillors saying they were in fact already investigating alternative solutions to the parking problem near Sefton’s beaches.
