Tuesday June 2nd 2020
Cars parked nose to tail at Seton Sands at the weekend as people flocked to East Lothian beaches and beauty spots
More than 200 parking fines were issued in East Lothian over the weekend as people flocked to beaches despite council car parks there remaining closed.
East Lothian Council said its team of parking attendants issued 211 penalty notices between Friday and Sunday across the county with the majority “at or near coastal areas”.
The local authority closed its coastal and rural car parks during lockdown and resisted calls for them to reopen over the weeknd as some lockdown restrictions wer eased.
Amid claims many of the people who flocked to East Lothian’s beaches crossed county lines to visit, the council issued a reminder to people to only travel locally.
And they said teams of council workers remain out clearing the litter left behind by the visitors.
A council spokesperson said: “In line with Scottish Government advice, our coastal and countryside car parks and public toilets have remained closed at this time.
“People should only travel short distances for outdoor leisure and exercise – remaining in their local area – to reduce the risk that places such as beaches or popular beauty spots become crowded making physical distancing harder to maintain.
“In anticipation of good weather at the weekend, teams from across the council worked through a multiagency approach which included Police Scotland to plan ahead – with a particular focus on public safety in and around our coastal areas and roads.
“Large numbers of visitors were observed at many of our coastal areas as well as, unfortunately, inappropriate parking.
“Between Friday and Sunday, 211 penalty charge notices were issued in East Lothian – the majority being at or near coastal areas – and clean-up work to remove litter and items left behind has also been taking place.
“With good weather continuing into the start of this week, we will of course continue to monitor the situation and would urge everyone to continue following the vital national advice.”
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