Rother District Council to crackdown on beach parking at Herbrand Walk

Throughout the summer, the number of people illegally parking and camping on the beach at Herbrand Walk, Bexhill, some for weeks at a time, has increased.

Last month Rother District Council officers worked with Sussex Police, NES enforcement staff, East Sussex County Council parking enforcement, the Environment Agency and its contract 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 bylaws and other legislation were moved on.

The council said most left voluntarily when asked and further enforcement action was taken on others, including issuing fixed penalty notices.

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A spokesman added that much of the beach at Herbrand Walk is in private ownership and 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.

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.”