Bournemouth | Posted on May 28th, 2026 | return to news

Motorists continue to park illegally in Bournemouth

Once again, motorists ignored signs and parked illegally near the coast with almost 3,000 Penalty Charge Notices issued.

Illegal and irresponsible parking has once more blighted Bournemouth.

Over the recent Bank Holiday weekend, almost 3,000 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued, although Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said there was more than enough spare capacity at car parks a short walk away from town centres and beaches.

Cllr Herrett said: “It is very frustrating to be in this position yet again.

“We know that the last thing residents and visitors want is to be stuck behind a car parked where it shouldn’t be – or worse, blocking access for emergency service vehicles.

“We are doing all we can to tackle this behaviour with enforcement teams out daily issuing fines and keeping routes as clear as possible, but lasting change depends on the government giving councils the powers to increase fines.

“Our pilot last year showed that higher fines act as a real deterrent, so we need the government to act now and give local authorities across the country tougher powers to properly deter illegal parking before it takes place – and I want to thank local businesses and residents for their continued support.”

In other matters, over the weekend 64 lost children or vulnerable adults were reunited with their families, thanks to joint working and a swift response from RNLI lifeguards and council seafront staff.

The cleansing team begins collecting rubbish at 4am every morning during the summer, and over the course of the season will remove thousands of tons of waste from the beaches across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s seafront.

On busy weekends, teams continue to collect waste via tractors and surf rakes until the beaches become too busy with visitors. Litter-pickers then take over until the beach is cleared.