A consultation is taking place on whether to extend a ban on car cruising events from being held on Scarborough’s seafront.
Scarborough Council is inviting people to give their feedback on the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which was adopted in 2018 following a number of incidents in past years.
Car Cruising is where enthusiasts meet up in large numbers and travel to a set location to show off their vehicles. One of the largest events to come to Scarborough saw 500 cars descend on Marine Drive and Royal Albert Drive in the town’s North Bay.
Car cruises to Scarborough seafront had been a common sight in the town for many years but relations between the clubs and North Yorkshire Police and Scarborough Council soured in 2017 after £50,000 worth of damage was caused to Royal Albert Drive following an event.
The then newly resurfaced road was left shredded with melted rubber stuck to the tarmac near the Oasis Cafe after a driver “burnt out” their tyres, the driver was later prosecuted.
The following year the PSPO was brought in and cruises have since been banned.
Scarborough Borough Council has this week started a five week consultation on the review of the current Car Cruising PSPO which is due to expire later this year.
The consultation states:
“Up until 2018 when the current PSPO came into force car cruises operated in Scarborough for a number of years. They can be large scale gatherings of car owners. There have been occasions that have involved in excess of five hundred vehicles.
“Cruises have taken place on the Marine Drive area of Scarborough which is one of the main routes from the North Bay to the South Bay of the town.
“Marine Drive is used by thousands of residents and visitors every year both on foot and in vehicles.”
The PSPO was brought in following fears that the number of cars posed a risk to pedestrians and also that some participants were speeding and creating a disturbance through spinning tyres, revving engines and playing music.
The PSPO makes it an offence for a person to take part in, attend or even promote a car cruise, without a reasonable excuse. Fines of up to £1,000 can be handed out to anyone breaking the order. It means any driver in a group of two or more who is posing a risk to other road users, playing loud music or is deemed to be taking part in anti-social behaviour could fall foul of the legislation.
Planned events with written permission from the authorities can still take place.
In March last year one thousand modified cars came to the seafront despite warnings from police not to do so after post advertising the meet-up circulated on social media the month prior.
Police and the council closed Marine Drive but cars moved on to other places in the area including Seamer Road, Morrisons in Eastfield, Filey Country Park and the Alpamare water park.
A number of drivers were given dispersal orders to leave the borough. There were also two arrests for drug driving, a driver who tried to outrun police in his car and seven speeding fines issued. A single vehicle crash in Victoria Road was also attributed to the gathering.
The council consultation document concludes:
“It is the view of North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire County Council and Scarborough Borough Council that the PSPO needs extending in order to prevent the recurrence of the significant issues caused by this activity prior to the current PSPO being implemented in 2018.”
To take part in the consultation visit www.scarborough.gov.uk/public-space-protection-order-pspo-car-cruising
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