Sefton Council has issued a reminder to visitors about the importance of planning and acting responsibly when visiting its beaches.

This comes after disappointing anti-social activity that took place over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Respecting the coast

During warm and sunny weather, coastal locations including beaches at Ainsdale, Formby and Crosby receive an extraordinary number of visitors.

While Sefton Council fully understands why visitors want to visit its beautiful coastline, and welcomes them, this should not be at the cost, inconvenience or safety of local residents.

Inconsiderate and illegally parking on residential streets near to beaches can make pavements unusable and inaccessible for some. It could also prevent emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire engines from reaching incidents at the beaches themselves and in local people’s homes.

Unfortunately, this weekend saw some visitors, who flock to Sefton from across the whole of the North West and beyond, park in this way. Irresponsible and dangerous parking led to around 700 parking fines being issued by enforcement team members across the Bank Holiday weekend.

Further reports of anti-social behaviour were reported to Sefton Council, with staff from its Green Sefton service diverted from their regular maintenance and community work to deal with its effects, including littering and damage to toilet facilities.

The Council also understands there were anti-social incidents at local rail stations and other locations.

Anti-social behaviour impacts residents, other visitors and Sefton’s protected natural habitat, and is unacceptable.

Mark Shaw, Service Manager for the Council’s Green Sefton service said: “We have always said that we welcome visitors to our coastline. All we ask is that they act responsibly when they come here, show some consideration for the local people who live here all year round and respect the coast. We also ask them to leave the place as they find it, which might mean taking your rubbish away with you.

“That’s not too much to ask and if people can’t manage that or want to engage in unacceptable anti-social behaviour, we’d prefer that they went elsewhere.”

Advice for visitors

The advice regularly issued by Sefton Council, as well as other landowners on the Sefton Coast, is to expect potential congestion and heavy delays if choosing to visit the coast on hot or sunny days.

Every year, ahead of hot, sunny spells and Bank Holidays, Sefton Council and other local landowners put out reminders to visitors asking them to plan their journeys and, ideally, use public transport. Signage is also in place across coastal locations offering guidance to drivers.

Parking is limited and on Monday, spaces across multiple sites were quickly filled, at which point the car parks were closed.

With the weather staying hot this half-term, Sefton Council continues to review parking on the coast and is working with its partners to ensure that residents and visitors can enjoy Sefton’s beaches safely. The Council is reviewing signage to ensure that messaging remains clear for visitors and will continue working closely with Merseyside Police to manage traffic, with public safety being the priority. 

Those planning to visit the coast as the warm weather continues are advised to stay safe, follow all signage, listen to guidance provided by the police and on-site staff, and to keep an eye out for parking updates online. 

Visitors are also reminded that a coastal Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is in place, with information available on the Sefton Council website.

Mark Shaw added: “We do all we can to encourage visitors to think ahead, remembering that the area will be busy and that parking is limited. 

“We ask them to use public transport, although we appreciate large numbers of people all wanting to travel at the same time can lead to delays.

“As with any busy destination or event, it’s about doing a bit of planning ahead and exercising some patience.

“On busy days, it’s worth considering all of the options available, including the coast’s beautiful nature reserves, Sefton’s numerous parks and the many attractions open to the public across the Borough.”