The unsanitary actions of some campervan owners who have been parking overnight on the Lakeside car park and dumping human waste and rubbish in Cockshot Wood has prompted Keswick Town Council to call on Cumberland Council to take action.
This is an issue that has been raised before at a previous meeting but town councillors heard that the problem was now more widespread. Cllr Louise Dunn reported that somebody had turned up to junior training at Keswick Rugby Club and had witnessed a motorhome owner (who had stayed in the car park overnight) emptying a toilet cassette into a rubbish bin at the club. She said that when challenged the motorhome owner acted as if they were doing nothing wrong.
And Cllr Jean Murray said that at a recent council surgery she had been approached by a verger from Crosthwaite Church who reported that a number of motorhomes were being parked illegally on the church car park and also on Church Lane. She said that the verger reported that there were now problems with the illegal dumping of waste and fires.
Cllr Richard Scott said this was not a problem that was going to go away. He said the reason that motorhome owners were emptying their toilet cassettes in such a manner was because there were no facilities in Keswick to get rid of human waste.
“If you go to Scotland or abroad every village has a facility to empty waste for free,” he said.
Cllr Louise Dunn said: “We cannot say to people: ‘Come to the Lake District’ and not have the right facilities for them.”
Council clerk Vivien Little said that she had contacted Cumberland Council officers about the issues of parking and dumping of waste but had not had a reply. She said the council has powers to move people on or issue fixed penalty notices but it was not being done.
Cllr Louise Dunn has since written to the leader of the council, Mark Fryer, to make him aware of the issue and try to find out the local authority’s position on the matter.
In her letter she said: “We have had many conversations with your enforcement officer, yet we find ourselves at the start of another busy season and last weekend there were tens of camper vans in Cumberland’s Lakeside car park which were occupied overnight and issues with human poo and litter found in the adjacent woods.
“The same was found on Church Lane and in Crosthwaite Church car park, as well as at Portinscale, the Castlerigg stone circle lay-bys and the lane at the end of the Howrahs.
“As far as I am aware, the powers are already there to fine people for occupying a vehicle overnight or for camping overnight in restricted areas, yet there is little or no enforcement, and the problem grows as various social media sites recommend Keswick Lakeside car park as a cheap overnight van stop.”
Ms Little added that she had also been in contact with other Lake District based council clerks and those in areas such as Ambleside, Grasmere and Windermere were not having the problems that Keswick is experiencing.
Cllr Dunn said that signs at the car park say you can pay to park overnight but overnight occupancy is not permitted. She said: “One solution would be a couple of weekends blitzing and issuing penalty notices so that everybody is aware.”
Cllr Chris Houghton called for an increase in fines and penalties to dissuade motorhome owners from staying overnight at Lakeside.
Ms Little had hoped to give town councillors an update following up from a meeting she and councillors had had about the issue with a Cumberland Council officer who was now no longer involved. He had passed on the name of the parking enforcement manager from whom Ms Little had expected an update but it was not available in time for the meeting.
