AN OVERNIGHT parking ban at East Lothian’s coastal car parks is set to be made permanent, with a new curfew of 11pm introduced.

East Lothian Council’s cabinet members will be asked to approve the new night-time closures, which have been trialled along the coast, after the closing time was changed.

And they will decide whether to allow a number of designated overnight spaces for motorhomes at some of the car parks, which will have to be pre-booked by visitors.

A report to cabinet says that, since the Covid-19 pandemic, coastal car parks in the county have seen an increase in the number of vehicles visiting.

It says: “Camping and motorhome activity at coastal car parks has caused damage to the biodiversity of this protected area by the lighting of fires and barbecues, as well as generating litter.”

Officers introduced a trial 10pm to 6am ban on parking last year, with a very limited number of motorhome spaces available for overnight stops.

Now they are asking councillors to allow them to introduce a new ban, which will run from 11pm to 4am following feedback from the public, and provide additional motorhome parking spaces at Linkfield and Whitesands near Dunbar, and the Boat Yard, Prestonpans, in the future.

There are currently some motorhome spaces available at Yellowcraig Beach and Shore Road, Belhaven.

It is expected that all the spaces set aside for motorhomes will have to be pre-booked.

Visitor numbers to East Lothian’s coast have surged since the pandemic, leading to extra patrols being sent out to oversee campers and a crackdown on overnight stays.

Last month, the countryside rangers reported an "alarming amount of human waste" being found at its sites, in particular at the most popular beach, Yellowcraig.

Cabinet will be asked to approve the new order when it meets on Tuesday.