Rented driveways in British coastal resorts see boom after lockdown

COASTAL home owners are cashing in on renewed demand for parking as holidaymakers return to England’s beauty spots.

A new study by YourParkingSpace.com has found that demand for rented driveways in Southend-on-Sea, Brighton, Weymouth and St. Ives has risen by more than 300%, while more in Bournemouth, Blackpool, Margate and Great Yarmouth have seen a rise in demand of at least 220%. Southend-on-Sea has seen the biggest rise, of 375%.

The company says that homeowners on the nation’s coasts are making up to £150 per month from using unused driveway space. In Brighton, those renting out their driveways are making an average of £162 per month.

“We’re seeing a massive increase in rented driveway bookings in seaside towns as Brits return to the coast following a relaxation in lockdown rules,” said managing director Harrison Woods.

“Our research shows that Southend-on-Sea has enjoyed a massive 375% increase in rented driveway bookings post-lockdown, the highest by some way. I would expect demand here to only increase in August throughout the summer holidays, and at other seaside resorts, with many people preferring a staycation.”

The popularity of driveway rentals has increased in recent years as a cheaper alternative to long-stay car parks. As well as in cities and holiday spots, the schemes are popular at houses near airports and football stadiums. There are now a number of websites that act as the middle man between the person renting the space and the person loaning it, including JustPark.com and ParkOnMyDrive.com.

After hotels, pubs and restaurants across the country re-opened on July 4, with easing of the coronavirus lockdown, they are experiencing a new boom. The RAC predicted that more than 10m people would go for an overnight stay on the weekend the restrictions eased.

A separate report by the organisation in June found that less than a third of people who had booked international holidays were optimistic about them going ahead, and that a majority of those looking for a replacement holiday were looking within the borders of the UK. Restrictions on international travel to a list of countries that “no longer pose an unacceptably high risk” (including a number of European and Caribbean countries) have been loosened, but more than half of the countries on the list have their own restrictions for visitors arriving from the UK.

The popularity of domestic holidays, therefore, is expected to soar in the coming months — although it is important to note that the countries that comprise the UK are dictating their own travel restrictions. Nicola Sturgeon has still not ruled out the possibility of forcing English arrivals to the country to quarantine.

In order to prepare for the expected influx of socially-distanced holidaymakers, a number of UK beauty spots have banned cars from their town centres, or imposed restrictions.

St. Ives, the picturesque seaside town in Cornwall, banned cars in order to prevent pedestrians “crushing on to pavements” to avoid cars. According to the study by YourParkingSpace, rented driveway bookings in the town have now risen by 310%.

Data: YourParkingSpace.com

Tweet to @KieranAhuja Follow @KieranAhuja

Holiday towns ban cars ahead of 10 million people hitting the roads as lockdown eases

Cancelled foreign holidays this summer will lead to increase in UK staycations, says RAC