New overnight parking ban unveiled at popular coastal site as motorists get blocked for six months

A major northeast council has launched a crackdown on antisocial driving along the coast, with new overnight car park closures and fines for motorists caught driving onto the beach.

Redcar and Cleveland Council explained the measures are designed to tackle years of nuisance behaviour that has left residents fed up with noise, dangerous driving and late-night disruption.

One of the main changes affects Majuba Car Park on Redcar seafront, where gates are now locked every night between 10pm and 6am as part of a six-month trial which began in April.

The move comes after repeated complaints from locals about illegal racing, loud engines and reckless stunts in the car park during the night.

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Residents have reported vehicles performing doughnuts, burnouts and wheelspins, while others described drivers racing cars, sounding horns and even setting off fireworks in the early hours of the morning.

New gates and fencing have been installed to stop access overnight, with Cleveland Police supporting the scheme. Councillor Neil Bendelow, the council's cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said residents had suffered for too long.

He said: "The people living by this car park should simply not have to put up with this nuisance which can go on right through the summer."

Calling the closure a warning to offenders, he added: "Neither ourselves nor the police will allow this to continue, and we will do what it takes to stop it."

The trial will run until late September before the council decides whether to make the restrictions permanent. The authority has previously tried to deal with the issue through traffic calming measures and a Public Spaces Protection Order, first introduced in 2021.

The order gave police and council officers powers to hand out on-the-spot fines to drivers causing trouble. However, limited overnight patrols meant the problems often continued.

Councillor Carl Quartermain, cabinet member for highways and transport, admitted the issue has persisted despite earlier efforts.

"While there have been periods of enforcement that delivered short-term improvements, the problem continues to return," he said.

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He warned the poor behaviour was not only disturbing nearby residents but also creating "risks to public safety". At the same time, the council has expanded another PSPO at Marske beach to stop drivers from taking vehicles onto the sand.

Under the new rules, motorists who drive onto the beach could now face fines unless they have a legitimate reason, such as launching a boat from the slipway. The tougher restrictions were backed by local independent councillor Tristan Learoyd, who first raised concerns last summer after seeing cars driving far onto the beach and parking among the dunes.

He said: "Last year, the enjoyment of many was ruined by selfish individuals driving along the beach and parking among the dunes."

Councillor Learoyd described the behaviour as "highly disrespectful to one of our borough's areas of beauty". He also warned it "endangers the lives of those enjoying the beach". The expanded restrictions received strong public support during consultation, according to the council.

Redcar and East Cleveland Neighbourhoods Inspector Neil Deluce said police welcomed the overnight closure of Majuba Car Park.

He described it as an "environmental-based solution" which would "bring immediate respite to the local community". Inspector Deluce said officers would continue patrolling the area and working with the council to deal with complaints from residents.

"As a Neighbourhood Policing Team, we are open to a variety of problem-solving methods, including education and enforcement," he added.

The council said both schemes are aimed at protecting residents, improving safety and preserving the coastline for families and visitors during the busy summer months.

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