EXTRA parking wardens, beach camping bans, creation of 'tow away' areas for illegally parked vehicles and electric hot plate installations for people to cook barbecues are among the plans announced by Dorset Council to cope with the influx of visitors expected over summer.

Dorset Council said the county became 'overcrowded' when travel restrictions were eased last summer - despite camp sites and hotels remaining closed - leading to problems with littering, illegal parking and outdoor toileting.

The authority has now announced a 'robust' plan to ensure the same issues do not occur again this year, when thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the coast for a 'staycation'.

Dorset Council’s plans for summer include:

n More parking wardens

n The creation of ‘tow away’ areas for illegally parked vehicles

n More bins and waste collections

n Additional signage for visitors at beauty spots

n Volunteer ambassadors to welcome visitors to local beauty spots and historic towns

n A possible temporary ban on beach camping on at least one of our beaches

n Working with farmers to open up additional camping/parking areas

n Electric hot plat installations at key locations to deter the use of disposable barbecues

Hotspots last summer included Weymouth, Lulworth, Swanage, West Bay and West Bexington.

Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “Tourism is a very important part of the Dorset economy and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors back after what’s been a very tough year for our business community. However, the impact of so many people on our beaches and at beauty spots, towns and villages was disappointing last year when littering, illegal campers, forest fires and illegal parking and other anti-social behaviours became commonplace.

“We know how frustrating this was for some of our communities, and we share those feelings. That’s why we’re investing in an ambitious plan to help combat some of those behaviours.

“Using Government funding provided for this purpose, we will employ more parking wardens, put in place more waste bins and collections, improved signage to warn of dangers of disposable BBQs and a possible ban on beach camping.”

Last year, the county also saw a significant increase in motorhome use and illegal camping, with people pitching up in laybys, on beaches and on private land, having campfires and leaving litter behind, often in highly protected areas of Dorset.

Dorset Council is part of a multi-agency group of partners including Dorset Police, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Dorset health partners and BCP Council, working together to tackle some of the experiences from last year.

Cllr Bryan added: “Dorset is a very special place and we want to protect it. Our Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Coastline being just two internationally important designations.

“We have an opportunity this year to create a lasting legacy for Dorset to help strengthen our place in the UK as one of the most desirable places to visit.

“We can only do so much though, to influence individuals’ behaviour. We hope the measures we put in place will have a positive effect, but the responsibility is on the visitors themselves to behave with respect for the area they are visiting.”

Funding to put these additional measures in place has been given to all councils to help with these very issues, funding is not coming out of Dorset Council’s budget.