An East Lothian wild swimming group with almost 1,000 members has slammed East Lothian Council for their implementation of a new temporary parking ban.
Anne Morton, who is a member of ‘The Salty Sisters’, has said that the new ban has led to their members struggling to access Belhaven and Whitesands beach for their sunrise and sunset swims.
The ban limits people from accessing the coastline between the hours of 10pm and 6am as the council hopes that this will decrease the level of antisocial behaviour along East Lothian’s coast. But Anne has argued that the move is "shortsighted" and impacts locals as well as tourists from exploring the natural beauty of the area.
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“We have got behind a petition that was launched to force the council to reverse their ban on parking in coastal car parks between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am. There are many individuals and groups who enjoy East Lothian's beautiful coastline and the Dunbar wild swimming group, The Salty Sisters, is just one of them,” she said.
“With over 900 members the group regularly uses coastal car parks at Belhaven and Whitesands and they are frustrated at the parking ban. The recent summer solstice swims at sunrise and sunset were well attended yet with sunrise at 4am and sunset at 10pm the swimmers found themselves searching for local streets to park in or risk a hefty parking fine.
“This, despite the fact many members already pay for an annual coastal car park permit. Contributing many thousands of pounds voluntarily to the council. And it is not only wild swimming groups who are affected.
“Dog walkers, star gazers, surfers, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts and shift workers have all made their views known to the council. The benefits of being out in the fresh air and of wild swimming are well documented and with such long summer days these groups are dismayed and frustrated by the council's draconian policing of their rights as an individual to roam before 6am and after 10pm.
“The Bridge to Nowhere at Belhaven is a popular and successful spot for watching the aurora borealis after dark and this parking ban inconveniences many chasing that bucket list dream. The Scottish Government recently debated and acknowledged the mental health benefits of wild swimming yet here we are with the council shortsightedly curtailing access to a jewel in Scotland's coastline.
“We represent the Salty Sisters swimming group but we are standing up for the rights of all to enjoy the coast at whatever hour they choose. It is not enough to say folks can park nearby and walk to the beach. Swimmers and surfers need to get changed and warm up quickly, they have surfboards and bags to carry.
“The elderly and infirm have the right to sit in the car park with a flask of tea watching the beautiful sunsets and sunrises from the comfort of their car. We are asking the council to rethink. The council is there to serve its residents and right now they are limiting thousands with one wish - to enjoy the coastline without curfew.
“The beaches belong to all at all times.”
East Lothian resident, Neil Kerr, 50, launched a petition in June in a bid to generate support from locals to fight the ban. Niall is a local farmer who is enthusiastic about capturing pictures of the coastline but he relies on his car to travel.
"This is bad for locals and for visitors who like to camp and take their motorhomes to East Lothian who all contribute to the local economy. At the end of the day, the council is wasting taxpayer's money to prevent this money into the economy which also prevents local people from using these car parks which is almost like a curfew for us,” he told Edinburgh Live last week.
"The council should be addressing people who are not used to wild camping, who don't take their rubbish home, and should not be attacking locals and visitors who are respectful of these facilities."
The council has argued that the temporary ban has been brought in to try to tackle levels of antisocial behaviour that have plagued the coastline in the area. They say they will be monitoring its effectiveness over the coming weeks and months.
A spokesperson for East Lothian council said: “The Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) was introduced to assist in combating the very high levels of irresponsible camping that our coastal sites have been suffering from over the past few years.
“The coastal sites managed by the Countryside Ranger Service are not formal camp sites. They include designations such as RAMSAR and Special Site of Scientific Interest which require active management to preserve and protect them.
“The volume of tents and related issues, for example, toileting in the bushes and in front of others, leaving high volumes of waste, including human waste, fires leaving burnt patches in the ground and loud music being played are issues which cause conflict with other users, cause significant damage to the environment and require appropriate management.
“Access to beaches remains open to the public at all times, only vehicular access to the car parks that has been restricted at the times specified. Under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code people have the right to non-motorised responsible access and we have not restricted genuine wild camping.
“Further information can be found here.
“We will be monitoring the impact of the ETRO in reducing damage, erosion and disturbance, not only to the wildlife, but also to local communities over the coming weeks and months.”
