Brian Kirby Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 It seems I may coincidentally have hit upon a similar idea to David Lloyd, in trying to interest my local District Council - Lewes, in East Sussex - to consider changing their parking orders to permit overnight occupation of vehicles in a designated parking area. David wrote, on 4 July: “I too have been in consultation with my local authority - Redcar and Cleveland - to get them to develop a municipal aire in Guisborough. I first wrote to the Chief Executive in January 2005. After receiving an initial brush off from him I wrote again and had meetings with my local councillors, MP, Guisborough Market town Initiative and (eventually) the council staff specifically involved in developing tourism in this part of the world. It has been slow and frustrating at times but everyone involved so far has been totally supportive once the idea and potential benefits have been explained.” David continued “For anyone who would like the opportunity to stay overnight in this lovely ancient market town and see more of the local area could I also please ask you to support my efforts by e-mailing the Cabinet Member for Culture and Tourism at: david_fitzpatrick@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk and express your support for the development of overnight parking and aire de service in Guisborough. A simple, short e-mail mentioning my name and that, as a motorhome user, it would be a facility that would attract you to visit the town and area would suffice.”I have approached Lewes District through the ward councillors, rather than through the Officers. However, to date the response has been reasonably positive. There was just a little uneasiness at the prospect of Lewes finding itself with the only such area in UK, and being inundated. I may possibly have laid it on a bit too thick in respect of the possible response from the motorhoming community! This led to one councillor floating the possibility of an approach to the Local Government Association, to see if other Councils have similar ideas.If David has gained a reasonably constructive response from Redcar and Cleveland, and I gained one from Lewes District, albeit at a much earlier stage of enquiry, I wonder whether we might not benefit from more widespread canvassing of councils around the country? If you know of a presently underutilised car park in a suitable location, possibly within reasonable walking distance of shops and town or village centre, in your locality, why not try writing to, or e-mailing, the Chief Exec or your ward councillors, to test the water? If this does get discussed at the LGA, and a number of councils have all received similar enquiries, making points about benefit to local trade and tourism, attracting visitors from Europe, availability of such areas in other European countries, it may become the next “hot topic”, and we may even persuade a few brave souls to implement the necessary changes. I have suggested car parks only because it seems these offer two potential advantages. 1) They are already – to some extent – hard surfaced, and, 2) They are normally policed in some way to ensure payment, so your same dear wardens (or whatever your local term is) could look after the motorhome parking at no additional cost to the council. However, I’m sure there are many potential alternative locations that would be suitable. It seems it just needs someone to start the minds ticking, and a constructive suggestion or two to give the idea credence. To your keyboards, Ladies and Gentlemen, and may the best man/woman win! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Many towns and citys in the U.K. are twinned with their counterparts in France/Germany ect, would it be possible to remind our council leaders, who no dought go over on jollys to visit the twinned town, that if the other town can offer aires, why not theirs, nothing like trying to keep up with the Jones, and perhaps they could ask them how they achieve such amenities for visitors. Just an idea. chas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Brian and Chas Great ideas. I had not thought of the Local Government Association, although I did attempt in the early stages to get the local MP to raise the issue with the relevent members of the all party committee on caravanning at the house of commons. I have since concentrated on just getting Redcar and Cleveland to establish an aire before biting off any more! Another avenue to take the issue forward is that many towns do not currently have daytime parking provision for motorhomes and, if the authority start to consider the possibility to make such provision, it is no great step further for them to change the parking orders (which will need to be changed to allow designated daytime parking) to allow for overnight stops. It is important to be prepared to reassure the council that changing the parking order would not necessarily lead to a deluge of 'undesirable' elements using the carpark. After all, this does not usually happen on French aires. It would be possible to include safeguards, such as restriction to motorhomes (not caravans), limited times of operation and/or limit on length of stay (say, 24 or 48 hours) and even no return within (say) 7 days. In such ways the council's legal position re: unauthorised use can be protected. May I wish Brian and anyone else who attempts this the best of luck. If I can help in any way then please get in touch via PM or e-mail. Best regards, david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 DavidThank you. However, I do think the question of possible undesirables should not be raised when first contacting the councils. Stress the potential benefits to tourism and commerce first. Over 100,000 potential extra visitors!They'll think of the potential shortcomings soon enough, and that is where the reassurances etc need to be to hand, and well rehearsed.I think David is absolutely right to propose daytime parking initially, as this is where the potential for enhanced trade will most easily be seen. Then, after they nibble, drop in the potential for even greater trade if the vans can stop for longer, i.e. overnight!There are hundreds of interesting and attractive towns and villages all over the UK that are just that bit away from the main tourist honeypot areas. It is surely these that will respond most constructively to the suggestion of creating a few motorhome parking bays, lured by the prospect of additional business.Thanks for your comments Chas. Have you written yet?Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 [QUOTE]Brian Kirby - 2006-07-19 9:33 AM DavidThank you. However, I do think the question of possible undesirables should not be raised when first contacting the councils. Stress the potential benefits to tourism and commerce first. Over 100,000 potential extra visitors!They'll think of the potential shortcomings soon enough, and that is where the reassurances etc need to be to hand, and well rehearsed.[/QUOTE] Hi Brian Yes I absolutely agree not to raise the spectre of 'undesirables' first. In my own case it was a thought uppermost in their minds though and had to be tackled very early on so the advice I meant to get over was 'be prepared'. I really don't think it is as serious a problem as my own authority believe it to be though and needs to be kept in persperctive. The Tourism Officer could quite easily see the (general) potential benefits and I was able to add to them by giving more detailed information on the day to day benefits to local commerce that he had not brough to mind, such as the amount of diesel a motorhome user may buy at one time etc. Good luck, david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Brian, Unfortunatly my local council, Birmingham City, have been plagued by so called travellers, and it as cost local tax payers dearly, I know for certain that if I suggested to them of facilitys for motorhome stop over areas, they would think I had taken leave of my senses. I am all for the idea of aires but in this country the location would have to be chosen with great care, I would like and could see the possabilty in small towns of aires being formed, away from the normal routes of travellers. It is a very frustrating state of affairs, but I can see both sides, as for stop overs to visit large towns or citys perhaps another idea would be to try along the lines of rail station car parks not to far out in quiet areas with easy commuting to enjoy the citys, whether permission would need to be obtained by the local planners and rail companys I do not know. I do wish you well with this very difficult task, if I have anymore ideas I will certainly post them on. regards chas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 [QUOTE]chas - 2006-07-19 1:21 PM Brian, Unfortunatly my local council, Birmingham City, have been plagued by so called travellers, and it as cost local tax payers dearly, I know for certain that if I suggested to them of facilitys for motorhome stop over areas, they would think I had taken leave of my senses. I am all for the idea of aires but in this country the location would have to be chosen with great care, I would like and could see the possabilty in small towns of aires being formed, away from the normal routes of travellers. It is a very frustrating state of affairs, but I can see both sides, as for stop overs to visit large towns or citys perhaps another idea would be to try along the lines of rail station car parks not to far out in quiet areas with easy commuting to enjoy the citys, whether permission would need to be obtained by the local planners and rail companys I do not know. I do wish you well with this very difficult task, if I have anymore ideas I will certainly post them on. regards chas[/QUOTE] ChasCentral Birmingham might be pushing it anyhow! Still, I do think you maye have given up too easily. 5 or 6 motorhome parking bays, within a public car park so already policed by wardens etc, usable subject to payment, with limitation on maximum stay, and probably under CCTV surveillance, should be sufficiently controllable on the one hand, and sufficiently unattractive to travellers on the other, that the foreseen problems do not, in practice, arise. Travellers can just as easily invade any other car park, afret all, so why should one with a few larger bays prove so un-manageable?Go on, give it a whirl. The worst they can do is laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Chas I agree with Brian - one of the points I have made in the past is that if travellers want to settle on the car park (or any other location) they will do so whether or not it is designated for motorhomes or overnight sleeping etc. At the very least, if the council can't or don't want to pursure it, their tourism officer could help to co-ordinate an approach to other private enterprises and the chamber of commerce members to find a suitable alternative at somewhere like a marina, hotel in the suburbs etc. As Brian says, go on have a go. Regards, david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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