The TikTok trend that is blamed for parking chaos in the Peak District

An MP has demanded action over dangerous parking at Peak District beauty spots, which he claims is being made worse by a TikTok trend.

Jon Pearce, Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, said huge numbers of people have been heading to the area to watch the sunrise and sunset from Mam Tor.

The sudden rise in visitors has caused major problems on nearby roads, with multiple reports of cars being left in unsafe places.

On one occasion, gritters were unable to reach Rushup Edge, close to Mam Tor, after around 200 cars were double-parked.

Photo © Chris Downer (cc-by-sa/2.0

“I understand that a lot of the problems we’re facing right now are linked to a TikTok craze encouraging people to watch the sunrise and sunset at Mam Tor,” Mr Pearce told the BBC.

“That has led to the parking chaos we’re experiencing, but it does at least warn us we need to be ready for summer.”

In a letter sent to the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Police and High Peak Borough Council, Mr Pearce described the “increasingly untenable parking situation” that has worsened since early February.

“Living in the Hope Valley, I know first-hand how serious this has become, and complaints from my constituents are still increasing,” he explained.

Photo © Andrew Tryon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

“People are rightly worried that current parking restrictions aren’t stopping drivers from leaving their cars irresponsibly.”

His letter suggested possible solutions, including tougher penalties such as bigger fines, clearer signage and looking at whether more parking facilities could be created.

A Derbyshire County Council meeting earlier this week heard that large boulders might be placed along the roadside near Mam Tor in an attempt to prevent illegal parking.

A spokesperson for the Peak District National Park Authority said: “The concerns raised by Jon in his letter are issues we have already been working on, alongside the many partners needed to tackle such a complex challenge.

The main aim of the national park management plan is to develop an ‘area management’ style approach, supported by reliable and up-to-date data.”

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As with anywhere outdoors, kindly keep these areas pristine and wild by taking all trash with you. The amount of complaints we have seen since the pandemic is crazy. It's really not that hard to take your rubbish with you!

Litter tends to spread, so if you see any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the hidden gem, it will help keep the area tidy.

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