Consultation to prohibit “car cruising” and speeding around Majuba area of Redcar

Majuba car park, Majuba Road, Coatham Road, York Road area has had its fair share of speeding and cruising for many years. At last the council are poised to act on councillor and resident complaints

“Hi Carl, We hear lots of car horns on a night at around 11 and 12 o’clock at night sometimes constantly beeping for 10 or 15 minutes solid. Another massive annoyance is the revving of engines and very very loud exhausts and screeching tyres”

“A regular visitor to Redcar has raised the issue of ‘boy racers’ at night in Majuba car park. Her caravan is next to the fence and she states that the cars are speeding from 7pm to about 1am every night. They rev the engines up until the exhausts pop and it sounds like gun shots. She said that this has been going on for the last 3 years that she has been staying at the caravan park and is getting worse. When the police come she says that the drivers hide and go quiet and then laugh after they have left. She said she cannot stand it any longer because it is every night and she cannot sleep – as well as it being frightening.”

These are just a couple of examples of the numerous complaints I have received over the past 5 years regarding the Majuba area of Coatham regarding speeding, cruising and dangerous driving. Over that time, I have passed this information on to Directors and officers with a demand for action. I have requested the cruising problem at Majuba car park be engineered out, for stronger enforcement to be introduced and for better control of the facility and highways to be adopted. However, despite this, there has been limited action taken to conquer the problems experienced by residents and visitors. Alongside the cruising issue within the car park is the speeding issues outside of it too in the neighbouring streets and along Majuba Road. This problem of noise and reckless driving continue onto Coatham Road, York Road, High St West, Bridge St, Hill St and Newcomen Terrace and also spreads further on to the Trunk Road, Kirkleatham Lane, the South Gare and the Esplanade on to Marske.

Majuba car park in Coatham Redcar is one of the largest coastal car parks in the North East and is enjoyed by visitors from all across the region and beyond. Img: https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/it-needs-every-day-not-18542658

On the 15th March 2021, Redcar And Cleveland Borough Council launched a six-week consultation exercise regarding these activities in and around Majuba car park. “Car cruises” are where drivers meet, race and show off their vehicles. Some drivers perform dangerous stunts, speed and create unreasonable noise and nuisance with the risk of injury from dangerous driving. The council is proposing to use powers under the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, public spaces protection order (PSPO) to prohibit these activities issuing on the spot £100 fixed penalty notice to offenders.

Along Majuba Road, after decades of these issues, it was agreed to create traffic management measures with the plans drawn up in July 2016 for pinch points, signage and speed humps to slow traffic down. These plans were implemented in January 2017 and had an immediate but limited impact outside the car park. Finally, some real action but nowhere near enough to prevent the wider issues and particularly the noise and danger surrounding cruising. Aside the perpetual anti-social behaviour from drivers, Majuba car park also sees the unauthorised encampment of camper vans without any control measures which leads to other problems including fly tipping, intimidation, threat and damage.

Plans were drawn up to control speeding traffic along Majuba Road in 2016. This plan was implemented in January 2017. The entrance from Bridge Road onto Majuba Road was not considered appropriate for traffic calming measures at the time.

Over the past year, I have encouraged residents to register their complaints officially which has seen a marked increase. I have continued to request and prompt action and I have attended meetings with the Cabinet member and highway officers. I have more such meetings in the diary. I also requested Speed Detection to be set up last year to assist gathering data evidence, along with Coatham Road, Majuba Road and York Road but was advised it was delayed because of Covid-19, furlough restrictions and faulty equipment. I am determined to resolve these issues and will continue to pursue all measures that will lead to the end of these unsociable events regularly experienced by our residents and visitors for many a year.

Damage to barriers in Majuba car park in 2017 said to be from a horse box stolen from Warrenby

I have also recently been attending related meetings to discuss the plans for Town Deal funding still to be determined by central government. These meetings have revealed conceptual design ideas of a revamped Majuba car park to go along with plans for the new hotel, crazy golf and water sport area should all the Town Deal funding come through. Having seen these designs which in part are attractive, I am concerned that we may lose too many spaces from what is one of the largest coastal car parks in the North East. There is clearly compromise and care required if this funding is forthcoming and during further stages of planning.

The consultation survey that has been sent out to over 230 residents (Link below) is very welcome and is hopefully the beginning of a real determination to make changes that will curtail this cultural delinquency which shows no consideration for residents living or the holiday makers spending time, in this part of Redcar. The feedback could inspire the permanent action needed that will really help Coatham.

Below is a letter I received from the lead officer at Redcar And Cleveland Borough Council along with accompanying documents sent out to local residents. If you use Majuba car park and are aware of the nuisances caused please also fill in the survey below. In the meantime I encourage you to keep up your complaints to the council if this nuisance is causing you distress.

Councillor Carl Quartermain

Consultation Questionnaire : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S79ZDXB)

“The council today launches a six-week consultation exercise on its proposal to take new powers to tackle “car cruising” activities at Majuba car park and within the surrounding Coatham development area.

” “Car cruises” are where drivers meet on the public highway to race or show off their vehicles. A minority of these drivers perform dangerous stunts, speed and behave in an anti-social manner. The cruises can also attract large crowds who can also commit anti-social behaviour and risk being injured by cars driving dangerously.

“As there has been a significant increase in the number of reported “car cruising” vehicle nuisance incidents at Majuba car park, Redcar, during the last three years, and particularly since mid-summer 2020, the council proposes to use its powers under the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing (2014) Act’s public spaces protection order (PSPO) provisions to prohibit all “car cruising” vehicle nuisance related activities within the Majuba area.

“The council is proposing to take these new powers, so it and its partners gain an additional enforcement tool enabling them to tackle car cruising and other vehicle nuisance issues, so likely resulting in a reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour incidents at Majuba car park in particular.

“The proposed approach is likely to be more effective, timely and sustainable in the long run than existing enforcement approaches, such as the issuing of Community Protection Notices by authorised council officers, the authorising of Dispersal Orders by the local police inspector, and regular patrols by the police, because it will result in offenders receiving an immediate sanction.

“As the new offences would be breaches of a PSPO, the council may issue a £100 fixed penalty notice to offenders.

“The council is required to meet consultation, notification, and publicity requirements, in making public spaces protection orders, including by consulting regular users of an area affected by the proposed public spaces protection order.

“I have therefore today written to 231 residential and business addresses in the surrounding locality having sightlines toward Majuba or next to highways providing access to the Majuba area. The area targeted includes addresses at Bridge Road; Coatham Road; Hill Street, High Street West; Lobster Road; Marine Avenue; Newcomen Terrace; Queen Street; and York Road.

“The communications team will also, within the next few days, publish details of this consultation on the council’s “current consultations” web page. I will forward you both a web link to this page that you can share with your contacts, once I get confirmation of publication.

“The council will also be consulting the local police, including the police and crime commissioner and the community safety partnership, together with Majuba car park users and community representatives and community groups active in the area affected by the proposed public spaces protection order.

“I attach pdf copies of the consultation letter sent today, together with the consultation documents and questionnaire, for your information as follows:

Consultation document
Location map showing extent of Majuba area where prohibition of car cruising activities proposed
Questionnaire (consultees can also give their views online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S79ZDXB)