Tanskavan Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 If anyone has been to Porthcawl in South Wales, they will know there is ample free parking on the seafront by the fairground. Great to park up and have a walk on the beach, around town, or even just a cup of tea and watch the world go by.........that was the case! Thanks to some motorhomers abusing this, it is to end. Locals have been so annoyed with these people parking up for days on end and emptying their toilets over the sea wall that the local council are now banning overnight parking and introducing a £3 per hour parking charge( £1 for cars)..... No wonder so many local councils don't want us around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigrem Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 It is also happening in France and Germany, where many towns allowed overnight stays on their car parks. This privilage is gradually being withdrawn as the inconsiderate few are using them as campsites, so taking up spaces during the day that the locals use. Its the usuall tale of the inconsiderate or ignorant minority that will eventually spoil it for the majority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sax Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 Hello Tony, I fear the same result will happen here at Gorleston in Norfolk at our harbour mouth car park. I think I have mentioned this before on here but said car park after many years does not now have a height barrier. M/Hs soon took advantage with some starting to stay for several nights. I was disappointed when making a friendly approach to these people ( as a local M/H owner ) to receive verbal abuse and on more than one occasion threatened with violence. I love to see them there during the day but I fear barriers and charging will return for everyone. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted April 22, 2007 Share Posted April 22, 2007 None of this bodes well for the growing cause of motorhome stopovers as councils do liaise with one another through various mediums and, eventually, the 'bad' side of providing such facilities will overshadow any tangible benefits they may feel there are. Regards, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted April 22, 2007 Share Posted April 22, 2007 Seems another good reason to sign the petition to provide proper facilities for MH's. To be quite honest, I would not stay overnight in any British town public car park or public place. Our local paper (Swindon) reports every day a number of lawless activities, stealing MH's even parked caravans, muggings, shootings, burglaries and vandalism to vehicles. In over 24 months of touring Europe in the last 6 years, staying in aires, public parking spaces and places, also a few campsites, we have only had one attempted burglary in France. Regards Terry -------------------- ------------------------- --------------------- We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Make Local Authorities throughout United Kingdom allocate 'Motorhome Only' Spaces in Local Authority Car parks http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Motorhome/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted April 22, 2007 Share Posted April 22, 2007 Personally, I see no good reason why Motorhomers should be able to stay for free anywhere overnight! There are , at least in the season, quite a few campsites available around and about, and indeed, we prefer to use such and leave the motorhome even during the day on the site, and walk or use public transport. If councils are able and have the will to provde 'aire' type basic facilities for a charge, then fine, but are they likely to be secure enough in the UK, and will they be abused by the so-called 'travellers'? I also feel that in this day and age of high council taxes, very few will treat this with any priority, as they will not see suffiecient return on the cost outlay. Far better to push for better daytime parking, with adequate spacing provided - perhaps on the edge of towns, or in P&R set-ups, and of course without the dreaded height barriers, as long as these are retained only for MH use, and not used (abused) by car drivers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted April 22, 2007 Share Posted April 22, 2007 Keith, Who said Parking for Free! - for example Le Touqeut was either free or a few euros per night over the weekend a few years ago. Now they charge 6 euro p/n at each of the aires, Aires are rest places that a MH can legally park, aire is not translated as free in France or anywhere else, most have water and dump facilities which are now mainly charged for as as an extra. The two sites at Le Touquet can park around 250+ MH's, about £1000 per night - a nice little earner for them, so there is plenty of scope for councils to get back the money they have invested, also by providing enough proper places to park the MH's, they can control where the MH's can park and keep them out of sensitive areas. If the parking is reasonably secure, stragically placed and enough people use them bus services or navette's may even be provided. Even Belgium provides many parking spaces for MH's in towns although the majority will not allow sleepovers, see link http://tinyurl.com/2f6gu7 When we first went touring in Europe staying at aires which did not charge, I was always looking for an honesty box to make a donation, I believe most MH'ers are the same. We are grateful for the facilities and want to find a way we can show our gratitude apart from using the commerces that are usually helping to provide the places. Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted April 22, 2007 Share Posted April 22, 2007 Terrytraveller - 2007-04-22 1:16 PM Keith, Who said Parking for Free! - for example Le Touqeut was either free or a few euros per night over the weekend a few years ago. Now they charge 6 euro p/n at each of the aires, Aires are rest places that a MH can legally park, aire is not translated as free in France or anywhere else, most have water and dump facilities which are now mainly charged for as as an extra. When we first went touring in Europe staying at aires which did not charge, I was always looking for an honesty box to make a donation, I believe most MH'ers are the same. We are grateful for the facilities and want to find a way we can show our gratitude apart from using the commerces that are usually helping to provide the places. Regards Terry Terry - I had more in mind the aspect which has been aired here so many times before of 'free camping'...ie overnight, and it is this which I do not agree with. We use the overnight aires very occaisonally, although never had the need to try the 'facilities', and would be quite happy to contribute th odd Euro or so to the local economy.....which we do in other ways in the nearby town/village anyway. In terms of the return on cost outlay, I can agree with you, but regrettably do not see many Uk councils taking this view.......the only thing they spend on is their own Office/palace buildings, and 'empire building'. Our County Council have even voted (against considerable public opposition) to run their own monthly newpspaper, which they claim will be used to 'inform the public' (what of, other than spin?!) and advertise the job vacancies, plus the 'legal notices' etc. They claim this will be cheaper and more effecitve than advertising in the local paper.......some hope, but even beore the Coucil Executive (or whoever) agreed this they already appointed the person to the new job in charge of it at a claimed £40k pa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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