In just 18 months, Cleethorpes beach has seen over 2,200 free metal detecting permits issued, marking a successful initiative by the local council
Cleethorpes: Can you believe it? Over 2,200 permits have been handed out for metal detecting on Cleethorpes beach in just 18 months! The local council is calling this whole thing a big win.
Back in 2023, North East Lincolnshire Council decided that anyone wanting to metal detect on the beach needed a permit. This was part of some new rules they put in place to protect public spaces.
A recent request for information showed that since the end of May 2023, more than 2,200 free permits have been issued. And guess what? Every single application has been approved! The permits let folks detect from the rock groyne at Wonderland all the way to Cleethorpes Leisure Centre.
Initially, the council thought about banning metal detecting altogether. But after hearing from the community, they changed their minds and decided to just restrict unauthorized detecting on the beach and in parks.
Some metal detectorists were worried about these changes, but the council said it was all about protecting wildlife and habitats. They already had a ban on detecting in certain sensitive areas, so this was just an extension of that.
In the summer of 2023, they kicked off a trial for the free permit scheme, working with Natural England. They even gave people a little time to adjust to the new rules. But there was a funny moment when a council officer didn’t seem to know about the amnesty!
After the grace period, anyone caught detecting without a permit faced a £100 fine. Luckily, they dropped plans to limit the reasons for detecting, so anyone could do it as long as they had a permit.
By December 2023, the free permit scheme became permanent. Since it started, there have been 13 fines for unauthorized detecting on the beach, all between April and November 2024. As of early December, ten of those fines had been paid.
There were also six fines for detecting outside the designated areas, with five of those paid up. In total, 2,284 permits were issued from May 2023 to November 2024.
Out of those, 1,002 were given between May and December 2023, and 1,282 from January to November 2024. A council spokesperson said the scheme helps them manage the sensitive areas while letting people enjoy metal detecting.
They’re pleased that detectorists are being responsible and not harming the local wildlife. The National Council of Metal Detecting even got involved when they heard about the potential ban. They pushed back, and the council ended up creating this free permit system instead.
Feedback from detectorists has been positive, saying the online application is easy and free permits are way better than a ban. If things change, the council will be ready to listen again.
