HORDES of motorhome owners cashing in on free overnight parking are blighting the lives of residents living near Minehead harbour, local councillors claimed this week.

The seafront area of the road between the RNLI station and the Culvercliffe roundabout, which is administered by Somerset County Council and is currently a free parking zone from 6pm to 8am, has become the target for scores of visiting motorhome owners

Residents said that, on recent weekends, from 25 to 50 motorhomes have parked overnight on the Quay West and Quay Street area, running hosepipes from nearby public toilets and blocking drains with the contents of effluent tanks.

Cllr Terry Venner, who represents the area on the town council, said: “We are being over-run with these massive motorhomes since Facebook pages and mobile apps pinpointed the town as ideal for overnight stops because parking, toilet facilities, waste disposal and unlimited supplies of water are all free.”

At its meeting next Tuesday, the town council will be asked to urge the county authority to block free night parking either by imposing a traffic regulation order to enforce charges or putting a blanket ban on motorhomes.

Minehead Mayor Cllr Paul Bolton, who has been regularly monitoring the situation, said: “Two camping and motorhome parks in the town, who pay rates, are finding that business is suffering because potential customers have found that they can stay in the harbour area overnight without paying.

“Many other coastal towns that have experienced the same problem have solved it by simply banning motorhome overnight stays.”

Cllr Bolton added: “The cost to the town council of running the toilets is putting an intolerable burden on the ratepayers and is becoming untenable. If there is no action by the county council we might have to consider closing them.

“The extra amount of water being used by motorhome owners runs into hundreds of pounds, plus the cost of extra cleaning and repairing vandalism. We simply can’t allow the situation to go on. Local residents are absolutely fed up with it, and who can blame them?”

One resident said: “The police say they can do nothing about it because no-one is technically breaking the law.”

For the full story, see tomorrow’s Free Press.