# Parking in North Cornwall



## DoctorDark (Apr 14, 2013)

We are planning a trip to North Cornwall at the end of September.

Having only had the Motorhome for a few months now, one of the downsides I have encountered is finding somewhere that allows Motorhomes to park up in towns.

So, before we set off I decided to see if there would be any difficulties at the places we intend to visit.

The Council car Parks I have checked on line at Boscastle, Port Isaac and Trebarwith seem to exclude Motorhome parking.

Anyone aware that this is the case, or am I mistaken?


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

Depends how big your 'van is - we have never had a problem fitting our 21 foot Pollensa into one of the normal spaces which overhang the grass in the New Road car park in Port Isaac (at the top of the hill on the port Gaverne side).


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

No you are not mistaken. Cornwall County Council policy is for motorhomes to use the available caravan sites to park on. They do not recognise that a Motorhome is a means of transport for the user and that while caravans have tow cars to get about in Motorhome users do not.

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=33744

They have 240 car parks and each one has a list vehicles that are allowed to park on them. This is an inheritance from the old district councils. If you check some car parks simply include motorcars, motorcycles, caravans and a Motor Caravan can park there as a caravan during the day, but suddenly at night they become something different.

On 17 car parks Motorhomes,(in that they include an estate car with a matrass in the back) are banned from parking overnight.
On these same car parks wagons and coaches even caravans can overnight but motorhomes will receive a PCN for being there after 11:30pm.

This is to try to enforce an un-enforceable rule of *No Eating , No Cooking or No Sleeping *on the car parks. They admit that they cannot enforce this regulation, as they do not know if someone is in a vehicle if the curtains are closed and they don't answer a knock on the door.
They use the blanket ban instead.

They say it is the mess that *campervans* are leaving that is forcing them into this position. No toilets and letting waste water run on the ground as well as dry rubbish. Of course cars and coach users all take their rubbish away with them!

Devon has a totally different attitude with Motorhome provision see http://www.tmcto.org for more info


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## alecturn1 (Nov 13, 2009)

I was in boscastle 2 weeks ago.Wanted to do some food shopping,entered the car park by spar supermarket.attendant directed me to the back of the car park where there was some spaces for motorhomes,went shopping,then had a walk down to the harbour and a look in the shops back to the van and sat and had our lunch in the van my motorhome is 21ft no problems.I wasnt looking to stay overnight


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

This site now has most of the official parking places in Cornwall listed and displayed on the Motorhome Parking Map. http://www.tmcto.org/index.php/motorhome-parking-uk

When the car parks shown is clicked on, it will link back to the official council information for that car park.
There are a few more places that should be on the map by tomorrow evening

More places are being added daily throughout the UK as we get confirmations from Councils.

Every UK council has or is being contacted under the Freedom of Information regulations for the current 2013 situation.

Where there is no Motorhome parking allowed a red X is displayed.
This is usually because of access problems or weight limits of 1500kg or 2000kg.

The map shows official serviced night stops as well as un-serviced overnight parking (Sleeping Permitted) . It also shows Day only parking and 24 Hour (No Sleeping) Parking. These can be selected using filters.

Your comments are welcome.


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

If you are going to (or thinking of going to) any other places let me know as we have been going for 25 yrs and can probally give you a few tips on where to park to visit towns, vaillages etc

Phill


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## NeilandDebs (Aug 28, 2008)

*car parks*

I never have a problem overnighting in car parks that have 'no overnight sleeping' type notices. There is no way that they can prove you were sleeping. Unless they see you how can they prove it. Not only that, is it cost effective for a council to employ anyone to enforce this rule.

Neil


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## Pard (May 1, 2005)

Bear in mind that by no means all of Cornwall's car parks are council-owned, and so arrangements can be variable. For instance Tintagel seems to welcome us motorhomers, even overnight. The latter is somewhat rare here though.

The MMM Guide to Motorhome Parking which has arrived with my September issue yesterday lists a few other daytime parks. 

Being surf central has brought Cornwall an influx of VW-sized campers, vans and cars with minimal or no facilities, all wanting to be right by the sea for when surf's up - and the attendant problems of waste disposal. So I have some sympathy with the unitary authority. However, to tar us all with the same brush is distinctly lacking in imagination and, frankly, out of touch. Perhaps they think we'll all stay in hotels and guest houses...

Hopefully if Devon - Teignbridge District in particular - has success with its overnight parking initiative - Cornwall might be easier to persuade to follow. Let's hope the inconsiderate and ignorant minority do not jeopardise that welcome facility.


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## alphadee (May 10, 2009)

Tintagel had a choice of 3 or 4 car parks which all had a sign saying 'Self contained motor homes £3.50 per night'. We had a lovely night there on the tarmac in January 2012, with an Indian takeaway from just across the road! Well done Tintagel!!


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## caz650s (Feb 15, 2009)

Yes I was going to mention Tintagel .. we have stayed in the carpark there before ... i think the carparks may be a non council ones ?


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

*Re: car parks*



NeilandDebs said:


> I never have a problem overnighting in car parks that have 'no overnight sleeping' type notices. There is no way that they can prove you were sleeping. Unless they see you how can they prove it. Not only that, is it cost effective for a council to employ anyone to enforce this rule.
> 
> Neil


Cornwall County Council and other councils such as East Lothian (North Berwick), admit that they cannot enforce a no sleeping ban so they have brought in the sledgehammer to crack the nut by banning or attempting the banning of Motorhomes parking between 11:30pm and 08:00am.

Cornwall County Council have banned Motorhome Parking altogether whether occupied or not on 17 of their car parks. Caravans, Trucks and busses as well as cars can continue to park overnight. However a vehicle that fits this definition, "A motorhome is defined as any vehicle constructed or adapted for use as a mobile place of sleeping - ranging from a custom-built motorhome to an estate car with a mattress in the back." found to be in contravention of the overnight parking ban will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for £70.00.

See http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=33744

This is the councils reasoning for the ban
"As a Council we want to support local businesses and *encourage visitors to use the many high quality motorhome and camp sites throughout Cornwall.*

There are many sites which provide clean and safe facilities for motorhomes at a range of town, village and coastal locations. VisitCornwall has details of 107 caravan parks, 104 camping sites, and 101 holiday parks, most of which would welcome motor homes, these can be found by using the holiday planning and where to stay tools.

Overnight sleeping has always been banned in Council car parks"


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## DoctorDark (Apr 14, 2013)

Thanks for the replies.

We are returning the Motorhome to it's owner in Penzance in September after having had use of it for four months.

We honeymooned in Tintagel nearly thirty years ago and planned to stop over a couple of nights at the Headland Caravan Park in Tintagel.

Boscastle is on the itinerary but on checking the Car Park website, it infers no motorhomes. Bizarrely caravan units are allowed but not Motorhomes :? 

We only want to park up for an hour or so but we may well just get the bus.

After the Bessacarr has gone back, it will be a winter of Motorhome or Caravan!!!


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

DoctorDark said:


> Thanks for the replies.
> 
> We are returning the Motorhome to it's owner in Penzance in September after having had use of it for four months.
> 
> ...


Having gone through every car park in Cornwall there are only 2 that specify Motorhome/Campervans as being a specified vehicle. However many say caravan but then have the proviso that Motorhomes are not allowed to park between 11pm and 8am. Cornwall county council even have a car park where there is no mention of Motorhomes or Caravans only trailers but have the same No motorhomes ban at night.

It can be assumed that if a Trailer *Caravan *can use the car park then so can a Motor *Caravan*. You may have to pay for two parking bays if you overhang.

Although the Station Car Park at Mazarion is listed in the list of car parks that Motorhomes are banned overnight on. In the car park specification published online by Cornwall County Council it mentions no such ban, while other car parks do. Motorhomes are not specified for that car park either.

*Cobweb, Boscastle, PL35 0HE 
PL35 0HE - Boscastle - United Kingdom -

Long stay car park

Permitted Vehicles

Cars, invalid carriages, motorcycles, coaches, trailers, caravans

Suitable for touring caravan/trailers

No Motorhome facilities or spaces

No Sleeping or Overnight Camping *

By "No Motorhome facilities or spaces" they mean no marked bay just for Motorhomes and no water and dump facilities. There is a weight limit of 3500kg however on this car park.


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## Mikemoss (Sep 5, 2005)

You can definitely park your motorhome in Boscastle, as an earlier poster said there are special long spaces right at the back and we've been able to use these every time we've been.

Also, there are two or three motorhome-sized spaces available in the quayside car park at Padstow, although there's a time limit on them (four hours from memory). We've also parked in the coach spaces there without any bother.

At Port Isaac, we've never been able to get into the car park on the Port Gaverne side but they are creating a much larger and more accessible car park on the right hand side just before you reach the village. When we went in May, it was temporarily closed while they were extending it, but I think the plan is to include a number of MH-sized spaces - and to allow overnight stays. Hope that turns out to be true.

As a general comment, we've never had much trouble in finding places to park on our many visits to Cornwall.


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

I will be there in 3 weeks
Yip yip


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## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

*Re: car parks*



johnthompson said:


> NeilandDebs said:
> 
> 
> > I never have a problem overnighting in car parks that have 'no overnight sleeping' type notices. There is no way that they can prove you were sleeping. Unless they see you how can they prove it. Not only that, is it cost effective for a council to employ anyone to enforce this rule.
> ...


Well - that counts Cornwall out for us as a future place to visit with our motorhome.

I just cant be bothered to give them my custom if I am not welcome.

CT


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## NeilandDebs (Aug 28, 2008)

*Car parks*

I have also on several occasions parked in hgv bays. Thats because
my m/h is 5 ton and a pte hgv tax class. I have only had one problem with this and that was at Worcester. I explained to the man giving the ticket that I am classed as a pte hgv so can park in places marked hgv. His response was your not a lorry so you can not park there. Anyway, a phone call to the council followed up by an email and the ticket went away.

Neil


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## Jeannette (Aug 7, 2012)

Tintagel

We were there yesterday. Very MH friendly. We stopped in the carpark opposite the Indian. £2.50 for the day or £3.50 to overnight. 

Fantastic village and the castle and cove are a treat.

Also parked at Port Isaac and Boscastle without problem. Padstow we took the park and ride but could have parked on the quay. 

In fact we have not had a problem anywhere in Cornwall.


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