A popular tourist spot has been criticised for issuing parking tickets to motorhomes and campervans that are not being occupied.
Cornwall Council has been urged to allow larger vehicles to access car parks across the region to leave vehicles rather than stay overnight.
It comes after a resident was slapped with a £70 penalty for leaving his motorhome in a car park without knowing of the overnight restrictions despite having purchased a ticket.
The resident argued that, due to the vehicle being left there overnight instead of being used as a sleeping bay, the penalty should be voided.
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|The resident was fined £70 for parking in the overnight car park
Last year, the council introduced an overnight parking location for motorhomes, which offered a self-contained space for the larger vehicles.
The site was launched due to the huge influx of popular vehicles, but the council noted that all other car parks would have an overnight parking ban in place between 11pm and 8am, with drivers issuing penalties for leaving their vehicles in bays.
Councillor Richard Williams-Pears said at the time: "We know there is a desire from the motorhome community for overnight camping in our car parks, and while we want to be able to accommodate those requests, we're also mindful of the needs of local communities and businesses. We're hoping the Bude overnight camping trial will give us a good insight into how we can run similar schemes in other Council car parks in the future."
However, the resident has called on the council to change its rules and allow local people the chance to leave their vehicles in the bays as long as they don't sleep in them.
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|To combat the influx of larger vehicles in the region, the council set up specific overnight parking sites
They urged the council to introduce a "unitary authority" which would enable local residents to park campervans and motorhomes in council-owned parking bays without incurring a penalty.
The aggrieved resident told The Voice: "Our motorhome is normally in store at a secure pound in St Austell, but occasionally we need to have the vehicle near our home for early starts the next day.
"It was one of those occasions, and a Just Park ticket was purchased, and the next morning, we had a parking penalty notice. Looking into this, I discovered motorhomes can't use the car park overnight."
He warned that looking forward, he would "be forced to find street parking, which seems ludicrous when most car parks are empty at night". "I'm sure local residents won’t be at all happy either, and it would contribute to the council coffers," he added.
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In response, Councillor Drew Creek explained that there needs to be a "more sensible" approach to motorhome enforcement, which also prevents people from sleeping in their vehicles while also ensuring that local residents are not penalised.
Creek said: "This is part of a wider parking problem in Newquay. We have local people parking along Esplanade Road at South Fistral in their camper van to just go for an early morning surf, and they are issued a parking ticket by an enforcement officer for overnight sleeping, and they are not."
He shared that the parking issue needs to be dealt with by the council taking a more "pragmatic view" while also ensuring that local people who own a campervan have a place to park it.
Residents in the area have shown mixed views towards motorhome and campervan parking measures, with one person taking to social media to share they had "no idea overnight sleeping was banned in all Cornwall Council car parks".
PA | Motorhomes are currently prohibited from parking overnight in most council-owned car parks across Cornwall
The person claimed: "Crazy…what a way to drive people away. And there I was thinking Dorset Council was bad enough with their high parking charges. It’ll be on-street or go elsewhere for me next year."
Another social media user shared: "Cornwall isn't, nor has it ever been, short of tourists. I imagine the council doesn't want semi-permanent encampments in car parks.
"Unfortunately, there is an element within the van world who thinks they can do whatever they want, they are entitled in their own little minds, and it is these people who bring about restrictions.
"It is these people we should rally against, not the councils who are trying to protect the area for the residents."