National Trust says Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters in East Sussex “is unable to cope with” a rise in coach visits in recent years – but has encouraged such parties to use nearby car parks instead
A decision by the National Trust to ban coaches from using its car park at a popular beauty spot has backfired, residents claim.
The organisation took action last month in a bid to reduce visitor numbers at Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters in East Sussex, where the South Downs meets the English Channel. It was said narrow B-roads around the attraction became congested with SUVs, minibuses and coaches during peak times.
But locals say coaches are still descending in their droves and parking their 70-seat vehicles on the verges, making it almost impossible for cars to pass and blocking residents from their own homes.
Phil Myerson, a 75-year-old man who lives in the area, said: “The coach ban hasn’t come a moment too soon but it has completely backfired. Tourists are wrecking this place. If anything they are causing more damage now than they were before.
“Coach operators are completely flouting safety guidelines, pulling up on the roadside, disembarking passengers into the road and then parking and causing an obstruction for all other vehicles. As a result tourists are trampling over the wild flowers, grasslands and verges and in the heat the place is turning into a dustbowl.”
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It is understood to be the first time the National Trust has imposed a ban on coaches at one of their attractions. However, as Mail Online reports, the charity said it took the unusual step after seeing the damage caused by the increase in the number of tourists at Birling Gap and Seven Sisters.
Photographs taken at the site in recent years show tourists gathering dangerously close to the cliff edge. People are sometimes seen posing for selfies as they dice with death, yards from a 530-foot plunge to the beach. In 2018, around 350,000 tourists visited each year but that ballooned to 600,000 people last year.
One regular hiker, Jon Ledham, told Mail Online this week: “The coach drivers are flouting safety laws by dropping their passengers directly into the road or grass verges. That needs to be stopped and steps need to be taken to ensure it stops. It is a huge danger on this road and it needs policing.”
The location has become increasingly popular due to its appearances on TV, film and music videos. It appeared in Atonement with Keira Knightly and James McAvoy, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
A National Trust spokesman said: “We urge people to be responsible when parking at Birling Gap and to think of local residents and safe access for emergency vehicles.
“We encourage coach operators to use the dedicated coach parking facilities in the nearby area. We’ve seen a significant increase in coach visits in recent years, which the site is unable to cope with. We continue to welcome visitors by car, motorbike, minibus and bus service.” It added the move was not a Trust-wide policy and was made in response to a specific problem in Birling Gap and Seven Sisters.