‘Strays’ causing coastal parking chaos in north Essex

Residents were left angry after unruly motorists flocked to the coast in hot weather as the Covid-19 restrictions were eased.

They parked across driveways, on the corners of roads and even in an ambulance bay in The Esplanade, next to Frinton Golf Club.

Frinton councillor Terry Allen: “These visitors we have been getting seem to have a ‘don’t care’ attitude, especially with parking.

“It’s a shame – it’s not our usual visitors, who are completely respectful, love the place and treat it well – we’re getting a lot of strays.

“As a town council – or even district council – we cannot issue parking tickets. We have to go to the North Essex Parking Partnership people.

“But we now have a plan to stop it. Not necessarily for this year, but for next year – we want controls on the corners all the way along the Esplanade and no parking on the hatched areas and flower beds.

“From a health and safety point of view, what they are doing is dangerous - people are abusing it and we need controls to be put place.

“We do welcome people to Frinton, but they must behave themselves.”

Mr Allen will be meeting with Tendring Council chief executive Ian Davidson to raise issues over this summer’s traffic and parking problems in Frinton and the need for yellow lines on the corners of the avenues leading to the seafront.

“We’re not asking for a lot, just yellow lines so parking wardens can come down and ticket those creating a problem,” he added.

Frinton councillor Nick Turner said parking wardens had been out across Tendring over the first weekend in August.

Over three days a total of 23 parking tickets were issued in Frinton, while 47 were issued in Walton and 31 in Clacton.

Mr Turner added: I was shocked at how few tickets were issued in Frinton.

“That means one of two things - the problem isn’t as bad as we think it is or we don’t have the right traffic regulations in place.

“But we know it is a major issue – I’ve never had such a big postbag about parking issues.”