The Christchurch City Council will close five freedom camping sites because of overwhelming demand and health and safety concerns.

More than 130 businesses and residents have complained about freedom campers at several popular spots around the city and on Banks Peninsula since the council passed the Freedom Camping Bylaw in December.

Despite the number of complaints, the council has not issued any infringement notices, saying it has been too difficult to distinguish campers from people who had merely parked up short-term.

PAUL LONSDALE/SUPPLIED A freedom camper's equipment spread across the road at Windsport Park near Humphreys Dr.

Popular Banks Peninsula site French Farm was closed on Thursday, and access to the beach had also been closed because water testing revealed increased levels of Ecoli.

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Last week, locals notified the council of an overflowing pipe leaking sewage into the harbour from the site's septic tank.

Freedom camping sites at Wainui, Addington Park's car park, Lower Styx River and Windsport Park, off Humphreys Dr in Ferrymead, would be closed from March 16 to May 31.

Council chief executive Karleen Edwards said the bylaw would be reviewed, but it was possible the sites would not reopen next summer.

Edwards said most campers had behaved well – the problem had been the "sheer number" of people using the sites.

The effect of low airfares, low fuel prices, good weather and Christchurch's popularity had been underestimated by the council, she said.

She said the number of portable toilets and rubbish bins and the level of enforcement had been increased in response to high demand.

However, those measures had not resolved the problems.

French Farm resident Chris Goldspink​ said it had taken too long for the council to act.

Goldspink claimed he had received "false information" about the council's monitoring of the sewage spill.

He said he was not against freedom camping but there was a "huge difference" between finding an isolated spot that may not be used again for months and "hyper concentration" at one seaside area.

More than 50 vehicles had been at the site each night, Goldspink said, and he was concerned about the long-term effects on the water quality.

"There was two young German women about to wash their breakfast dishes in the sea.

"They thought I was going to chastise them for polluting the sea...but I was more concerned about the sea polluting them."

Hagley-Ferrymead Community Board member Joe Davies criticised the council's decision, labelling it a "draconian measure".

"The bylaw clearly failed in its objective to assist freedom camping in Christchurch.

"[The closures] push something that should be a positive addition to our city's multi-culturalism onto other parts of the South Island."

Last week, campers at Windsport Park claimed they were being threatened and intimidated by locals since negative media reports about the behaviour of some campers.

Several campers said locals were driving through the car park in the middle of the night shouting at campers, honking their horns and doing burnouts.

Councillors have been divided on the issue of freedom camping. Some said they were not opposed to discussing a blanket ban in the city while others said that would only shift the problem from one place to another.