Concerns are growing about the lack of parking at Scarborough Beach as the warm weather makes more people head to its shores.
An image posted to a local Scarborough residents’ page on Facebook last month showed several cars parked on the lawn of Brighton Reserve, which is at the southern end of Scarborough Beach.
The image highlighted problems created by the popularity of the area, including the lack of public parking.
Another image days later showed temporary fencing had been erected, blocking vehicular access to the park.
A City of Stirling spokesperson said Scarbrough Beach was Perth’s most popular beach and an iconic tourism destination for WA.
“Parking is in high demand over the summer period, particularly on weekends and during the major events and sporting championships the unique amenities attract,” the spokesperson said.
“The city is aware that a number of people have started parking their vehicles within Brighton Reserve over the last few weeks.
“To ensure the safety of people using this public open space, the city recently installed bollards to prevent unauthorised vehicle access.”
There are limited opportunities to significantly increase public parking in the area but the city is working on a report with possible temporary options.
Former City of Stirling councillor Felicity Farrelley has long raised concerns about parking and said the number of public parking bays was cut in half during the Scarborough Beach redevelopment.
“In 2015, before DevelopmentWA came in to run the master plan and organise all the development, there were 1731 parking bays. Of those, 1122 were public,” she said.
“Since DevelopmentWA instigated the changes at Scarborough Beach, there are now 1340 but there are only 586 public car park bays.
“That’s how many parking bays we’ve lost at the beach at Scarborough.”
Ms Farrelley said the development of high-rise apartments in the area was putting a further strain on public parking.
She said public parking bays should have been included as part of the approval of large developments in the area.
She said this arrangement was agreed upon for The Dunes residences, which is currently under construction at the site of the old Reserve Street Car Park and will include 100 free parking bays.
DevelopmentWA had planning control of Scarborough Beach until August 9, when it was returned to the City of Stirling.
The City of Stirling spokesperson said the city would look at ways to address parking issues, including future developments.
“A review of existing parking restrictions is also being undertaken to ensure they align with business and community demand. The city will also continue to seek the inclusion of public parking within new developments in the area,” they said.
The spokesperson said members of the public should expect Scarborough Beach to fill up with visitors on warmer days.
“The public parking areas at Scarborough Beach fill quickly on hot days and therefore we strongly encourage people to seek parking further away,” they said.
“This includes the Wilson car park on Manning Street and the Secure car park adjacent to the White Sands on Scarborough Beach Road.
“Also, consider alternative transport options — whether that be the regular bus services, parking at nearby Trigg beach and riding an eScooter to the precinct, or walking if you are a local.”