Crackdown on illegal beach camping in Cooden

Campers who illegally park on the beach at Cooden have been threatened with having their vehicles towed as the council cracks down on those flouting the rules.
Shingle work underway on the beach at Herbrand Walk, Cooden. SUS-210419-132503001Shingle work underway on the beach at Herbrand Walk, Cooden. SUS-210419-132503001
Shingle work underway on the beach at Herbrand Walk, Cooden. SUS-210419-132503001

Under a Rother District Council bylaw, anyone caught camping or staying overnight in a tent, caravan or any motor vehicle at the Herbrand Walk site could be convicted and face a fine of up to £500.

But this hasn’t deterred visitors from setting up on the shingle, with an increasing number of camper vans visiting the beach as the weather continues to improve.

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Now Rother District Council is cracking down on unauthorised encampments and is considering closing off vehicle access to the beach.

A sternly-worded notice which appeared at the site last week warned that any vehicles, caravans, other possessions or waste will be removed from the site “without further notice” from the middle of this week.

Rother has been trying to identify the person who owns part of the land where the repeated breaches are taking place to inform them about the impending work.

A spokesperson from Rother District Council told the Observer: “We have received a number of complaints from the public about camper vans and caravans on the beach.

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“As camping and sleeping in vehicles is not permitted, we are considering if any work can be carried out to prevent vehicles accessing the beach.

“We have contacted those affected landowners known to us and have erected signs in the area to notify any owners who have not registered their land.

“Our coastal control officers and officers from Sussex Police will continue to make regular visits to the area to deal with any vehicles accessing the beach,while those parked on the highway that are breaching restrictions will be liable to parking enforcement fines from East Sussex County Council.”