I AM VERY saddened to see what is happening in East Brighton Park (and so many other areas around Brighton like the top of Wilson Avenue, Madeira Drive...) with all those wild campers that apparently do not have to live by the rules of regular, tax paying Brighton and Hove citizens.

Since the beginning of this year East Brighton Park (and many other locations) is permanently full with long-term campers.

While I am asked to pay for parking if I want to visit the park by car for a walk with my family, these vans, buses, horse boxes, motorhomes all park there for free, week after week, month after month.

I am in this park regularly and get to observe a lot. From the usual grass being burned by barbecues to the dog of one of the permanent "residents" pooping in the middle of the park each day without anyone ever bothering to pick it up, to flytipping, to park wardens handing out tickets to cars being parked at the side off the road but bypassing all the illegal campers.

And even though I just read on the Brighton and Hove dedicated East Brighton Park web page that it is indeed illegal to camp there, the park4night app seems to suggest differently. East Brighton Park received 4,25 out of 5 stars. "Good quiet spot for the night", "many long-term vans, a bit busy now with the Covid testing centre", "never got bothered by anyone" are only some clippings of the great positive reviews advertising for more illegal camping in the park.We residents pay for the maintenance for the park, including the rubbish collection of all those long-term campers, unwanted belongings like mattresses, old water tanks, used barbecues, ripped-up folding chairs, tents and whatever else they decide to leave behind should one of them finally decide to leave.

What worries me the most every time I visit that park is: Where do they get their water from? Where do they dump their waste water? And mostly where do they go to the loo? Will I step into human poo if I take a wrong turn? Will my dog come running out of a bush with human faeces all over its face?

The council spent money on pimping up our city centre, pressure washing our streets to attract more tourists to fill all of our pockets with tourist money. And rightly so.

Brighton could be such a beautiful place if we would only take a bit more care. However, about this eyesore all over town nothing is done. Why is that?

Is there no money to be pulled out of those long-term illegal campers' pockets? Put up some signs and enforce the rules. How hard can it be? With reviews like the ones on park4night, long-term camping will only be booming more and more if nothing is done soon.

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