New powers have been granted to North Yorkshire Council to tackle problems with wild camping, fires and barbecues near Whitby Abbey and Pannett Park.
It was agreed at a meeting on Friday that a Public Spaces Protection Order 2026 will now be applicable to these two locations – as well as seven areas in Scarborough – following concerns about “significant and persistent littering, anti-social behaviour, crime and damage to the environment”.
The Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) gives North Yorkshire Council the power to move people on from these locations, issue a fixed penalty notice of up to £100, or in some circumstances lead to a court conviction and maximum fine of £1,000.
It follows a consultation carried out earlier this year before a bid for the new legal framework was made.
In each location, the majority of the 400 plus people who responded were highly concerned or fairly concerned about unauthorised camping. The most common theme was concerns around human waste and hygiene, impacting residents and the local community.
Residents living in or near these areas said firm action was needed. The next steps following Friday’s meeting are for the council’s legal departments to make the PSPO by affixing the Council Seal to it and to publicise it in accordance with legal requirements.
Executive member for community safety, Coun Heather Phillips, said: “In recent years, the impact of wild camping has been detrimental on the environment in popular locations across Whitby and Scarborough.
“There has been an influx of littering and antisocial behaviour, including damage to seats and benches, burning of the ground and vegetation, and defecating and urinating.”
Between May and October 2024, unauthorised wild camping in the nine locations covered cost more than £30,000 to clear up and repair or replace damage caused. This didn’t include any associated costs to North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service who may have been called out to deal with incidents too.
NYC has said people camping in these areas who are homeless will be subject to a holistic approach, rather than issued fines.
A spokesperson said: “The proposed PSPO is part of a holistic approach that offers support to anyone who is homeless through existing procedures working with housing options and the rough sleeping teams which will continue to be applied.
“As such issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice when a person is clearly homeless would not be in the public interest and officers and partners will continue to attempt to engage with anyone rough sleeping/considered homeless.”
The locations in Scarborough which will also fall under the new legislation are Royal Albert Park, Castle Dyke, South Cliff and Italian Gardens, Scalby Beck, Marvels, Peasholm Park, and Museum Terrace.
