Residents in a sleepy seaside town say they feel "like prisoners in their own homes".
Formby, on the outskirts of Liverpool, has always been known for its lush woodland and picturesque beaches. Its dunes have long been the favourite of Mancs wanting to see the sea.
While always popular with tourists, locals claim the number of people coming to Formby beach has increased since the pandemic. With a lack of facilities on and surrounding the beach coupled with the swell of visitors neighbours say it is causing "absolute chaos", the Liverpool Echo reports.
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People urinating in private gardens, double parking, and blocked drives have become the norm for the homes surrounding Formby Beach. Speaking to the ECHO, one woman who has lived in Formby for more than 40 years said: "We are trapped in here when it is busy.
"It's not pleasant during the extremely busy days and we have to be on constant lookout to make sure nobody parks on our drive and we also get abuse when we ask people not to double park outside our house.
"We just pray that it is not going to be sunny but when we get the forecast we know what is going to happen. I don't think anyone has a clue how to solve the problem."
Last weekend the record-breaking heatwave saw visitors flock to Formby Beach with the police having to close off Lifeboat Road. One of the main problems facing the beach is the inability to construct a new car park as the woodland surrounding it is a protected nature reserve. With the National Trust saying is is "unable to use more of the precious landscape for parking".
Sarah who lives in Formby said: "It is absolute hell here when it gets busy, we can't enjoy the beach at all. There are cars all along Victoria Road and throughout Formby.
"I know what people think about Formby being an affluent area and it is lovely. But nobody wants to see their home trashed with beer bottles and bags upon bags of rubbish just dumped on the side of the road.
"This is supposed to be protected land and it is being wrecked by people who just don't care and are so inconsiderate to the people who live here. We are the ones who have to live with the aftermath."
Sheila Claydon started a petition to combat the issue and has been working with the council to try and find a solution, she said: "It is quiet here for most of the year but it is the really hot days in the depth of the summer that has got worse and worse.
"There are around 650 parking spaces in the National Trust car parks but when everything opened up during Covid we had 9,000 cars coming in. We do want visitors here it's a lovely place and people should enjoy it but what we don't want is the traffic or the litter.
"Everyone is working together to try and find a solution but unfortunately there is no easy solution quite honestly."
This is what Sefton Council said about the issue
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “Sefton’s 22-mile stretch of natural coast is understandably a popular visitor destination, especially during the summer months. While the Council wants everyone to enjoy their time spent at our beaches and values the economic benefits that brings to the Borough, we also ask visitors to show consideration for local residents."
"People planning on visiting to consider going to one of the other stunning Coastal Gateways we have in Sefton, such as Ainsdale and Southport in the north and Crosby Coastal Park in the south, where more facilities including beach parking are available. We ask people to take any litter they can’t put in bins home with them when they leave because while leaving bags next to bins might seem like the right thing to do, it can result in litter being spread around again.
“We need everyone visiting our natural coast to do their little bit and, once they have enjoyed a day at our beaches, to take their litter away with them and dispose of it at home, which we don’t think is too much to ask.”
This is what National Trust said about this issue
Vicky Blane, General Manager for National Trust Formby said: “We’re aware of the frustrations busy days create for local residents. There’s no quick fix to the challenges of traffic, parking and crowds on busy days at Formby, but we’re working hard with Sefton Council and the emergency services to find solutions that work for people and help protect nature. We’re listening to the concerns of the community and value feedback.
“We care passionately about this place and the community. We’ve taken on extra staff and volunteers to ensure we’re on site every day of the year, welcoming over one million visitors and caring for a site around the size of 500 football pitches. We’ve also doubled the capacity for litter, reduced fire hotspots and use our digital platforms to share live parking updates. We’re so grateful to everyone who supports this beautiful place.”
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