Parking charges at a County Durham beach will be introduced later this year after a council approved the controversial proposal. 

Durham County Council has introduced new measures requiring visitors to Crimdon Beach Car Park to pay £1 per hour or £3 all day. 

The final decision was taken behind closed doors and decided under delegated powers.

However, hundreds of residents and visitors opposed the proposal and fear the charges will be too costly for visitors. 

Speaking at a Highways Committee meeting in September, Blackhalls councillor Rob Crute, who represents Crimdon, said the proposal “flies in the face of reason and public opinion” and argued, “the council is determined to drive tourism and visitors away”. 

Councillor Kevin Shaw said the decision to reintroduce charges in Seaham earlier this year has caused parking issues. He told members: “I don’t think charges will necessarily deliver what it says on the tin. I live in Seaham and I’ve seen the impact that the car parking charges have had. 

“I’ve seen how parking has been displaced and is causing even more problems than the car parking charges were initially intended to deal with. It won’t resolve the problem it will just create another.”

Yet, the council said visitors to Crimdon Beach Car Park often park inappropriately and the charges - and new double yellow lines - will prevent problem parkers. It added that it is the only North East council to provide free coastal parking currently. 

At the same meeting, the local authority’s Highways Committee approved the plans to introduce the charges at Crimdon Beach Car Park later this year. 

A Durham County Council spokesperson said: “Following the Highways Committee’s vote in favour of a traffic regulation order to introduce pay and display parking restrictions at Crimdon Beach Car Park, we can confirm that a decision has been made under delegated powers to bring the order into force.

“We were the only local authority in the North East to offer free parking in coastal car parks. While charging brings us in line with many other councils, nationally and regionally, we have kept the cost affordable, at £1 per hour or £3 for a full day.”

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An exact date on when the parking charges will come into force will be revealed in due course. 

The statement added: “The charge will help reduce the chances of the car park being over-capacity during busy periods which can result in congestion and visitors leaving to go to other destinations. We are also introducing double yellow lines to prevent obstructive parking, which has been a problem at Crimdon.

"By effectively managing available parking spaces through these measures, we can help visitors access the coastline and encourage return visits. A higher turnover of visitors during the day can also increase footfall for local businesses.

“A legal notice will be published in the local press when a date has been set to bring the order into force.”