Thousands of Brits have flocked to their nearest beach to enjoy the late-spring heatwave, but the demand for a coastal stretch in southeast England has been so great that visitors have been urged to stay away. West Wittering Beach in West Sussex has frequently been ranked among the best in the UK, most recently by Conde Nast Traveller, citing its beautiful “white sand and expansive coastline”.
The stretch operates an advance booking parking system, however, with all spaces now sold out for both Sunday, May 24, and Monday, May 25.
A spokesperson for the beach said in a statement: “The car park is sold out on Sunday and Monday. Please do not travel to the beach without a booking.
“There is no alternative parking in the local area. Please allow extra time travelling to and from the beach.”
Frustrated social media users criticised the system, suggesting it discouraged spontaneous seaside trips.
One said: “I used to love going there as a family as a kid. Check the weather the day before. Turn up 8am, make a bacon sandwich by the car before going into the beach for the day. Can’t do that nowadays.”
“Used to go here all the time as a kid,” a second wrote. “Pulled up, parked, done.”
Another added: “You can’t tell people not to go to a beach because you have no parking spaces.”
West Wittering Beach introduced the pre-booked parking system in March 2020, originally as a temporary measure to manage visitor numbers during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The change was so effective at reducing congestion that the West Wittering Estate decided to make it permanent in late 2022, requiring visitors to book at least one day in advance.
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