# Government response to motorhome parking petition



## Sandy_Saunders (Nov 17, 2008)

I have just received a link  to the government response to the UK aires petition.

Their response seems to be "nothing to do with me guv, it's down to the local council".

No real surprise there then.

Cheers

Sandy


----------



## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

Your link doesn't seem to work Sandy.

Did we expect a different answer?


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

yep, I got one as well.

true, and I think I said that at the time it was being passed around.


----------



## Sandy_Saunders (Nov 17, 2008)

I've clearly not quite mastered this link process yet, and no I don't think anybody expected anything better.

This is the text of the statement:-

We received a petition asking:

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to provide stopping places for motorhomes.”
Details of Petition:
“We the undersigned respectfully ask that councils can provide stopping places or areas for the overnight stay of individual taxed and insured motorhomes.Many people like touring the UK in a home on wheels and the setting up of such stop over points might encourage them to visit towns and resorts they otherwise might not.This goverment has provided freedom to roam,freedom to stop and rest awhile whilst doing so would we are sure,prove popular.”
· Read the petition
· Petitions homepage

Read the Government’s response

Thank you for your e-petition.

Responsibility for policy on parking rests with the relevant local traffic authorities and it is for them to decide on appropriate policies that balance the needs of local residents, emergency services, local businesses, and those who work in and visit the area.

The Government’s planning policy for caravan parks and related developments is set out in Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas. PPS7 asks local planning authorities to allow appropriate facilities for tourism such as overnight stopping areas for motor-homes provided that they do not detract from the attractiveness or importance of a feature or the surrounding countryside.

Local planning authorities should carefully weigh the objective of providing adequate facilities and sites with the need to protect landscapes and environmentally sensitive areas. Where appropriate, e.g. in popular holiday areas, local planning authorities should set out in their development plans policies for the provision of new sites. They should also ensure that any visual intrusion caused by such developments is minimised by high quality screening. Where possible these should be located near to villages and rural service centres.

Further advice for motor-homes and travelling caravans is provided in the Good Practice Guide on Planning for Tourism published in May 2006.

Cheers

Sandy


----------



## philjohn (May 29, 2005)

Hi,
Got my reply too. Having taken part in a few online petitions now I get the feeling that they are a complete waste of time.

Philj


----------



## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

I suppose we could all contact our European MP and lobby for the same rights as motorhome tourists in mainland Europe.


----------



## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

philjohn said:


> Hi,
> Got my reply too. Having taken part in a few online petitions now I get the feeling that they are a complete waste of time.
> 
> Philj


I have only seen one petition promoted on this forum which wasn't doomed from the onset by either being addressed to the government when it should have been addressed elsewhere or badly drafted.


----------



## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

As an ex-planner I've just read PPS7 and as the Govt. say they have set out the policy guidelines to encourage just what the petition asks for and it is now up to Local Authorities to make provision.

So the thing to do is to write to your Local Authority asking what action it has taken to ensure the provision of overnight parking facilities for motorhomes (etc.) in accordance with the guidelines set out in PPS7.

Fortunately or not (according to your personal view) we have devolved Local Government in this country and there are many matters over which Central Government has no direct control - this is one of them.

When you no doubt get the "Nothing - we didn't have the resources" reply the thing to do would be to identify a local municipal car park that could easily and cheaply be adapted to provide a suitable overnight parking area and reply suggesting it be so used for a trial period.
A minor temporary change to any restrictive regulations would be all that is needed for a trial to take place.
It's worth a try...................................... :roll:


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

pps7 here

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/147402.pdf


----------



## foll-de-roll (Oct 29, 2007)

Can you explain who you are referring to when you say"we should all contact" are you assuming that everyone on this Forum wants to see Aires throughout the UK. Well I most certainly do not. Having seen how Motorhomers, have created "Ghettos" in Spain and France, out of many of the lovely Beauty Spots, by there indiscriminate parking, it is the last thing I want to see legalised in the UK. It breaks my heart to see the lovely remote areas of the West Coast of Scotland, turned into parking lots for monster vans, whose occupants are too tight fisted, and lazy, to find a CL or campsite, then cycle or walk to the remote bays, they even have the nerve to complain that the roads are too bumpy, and narrow The sort of people who buy this type of vehicle then expect everyone else to put up with their anti-social behaviour, are just the sort who would complain bitterly if anyone parked anywhere near their homes. In this country we have a wonderful choice of Campsites to suit most people, but you do have to to pay for them!! There is a a big difference between Wildcamping and Freeloading, and I am afraid there are many on this Forum who come into the latter category. Andy


----------



## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Anything rhyming with Troll in this thread?


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

foll-de-roll, A trifle harsh on us free loaders. Could it be that we would rather pay a fee not to be couped up on a site? Alan.


----------



## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

There appeared (to me at least) to be some people who wished to see such facilities provided - why else would they sign a petition to that effect if they did not? 
It was aimed at them - if you don't agree, it's not aimed at you is it?

As to bumpy roads - I had the strange notion that my purchase of a VED disc (and payment of fuel excise duty) was for use of ALL publicly maintained highways in the UK - is this no longer the case?

If it isn't, fair enough and local authorities should therefore designate which roads are no longer open to all vehicles and excluded vehicles should get a pro-rata refund for all the roads they are unable to use. 
If it is, do you not think it reasonable to expect all roads to be maintained adequately for the traffic likely to use them?

I do not think that all motorhomers should be forced into privately owned "ghettos" either.


----------



## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

foll-de-roll said:


> Can you explain who you are referring to when you say"we should all contact" are you assuming that everyone on this Forum wants to see Aires throughout the UK. Well I most certainly do not. Having seen how Motorhomers, have created "Ghettos" in Spain and France, out of many of the lovely Beauty Spots, by there indiscriminate parking, it is the last thing I want to see legalised in the UK. It breaks my heart to see the lovely remote areas of the West Coast of Scotland, turned into parking lots for monster vans, whose occupants are too tight fisted, and lazy, to find a CL or campsite, then cycle or walk to the remote bays, they even have the nerve to complain that the roads are too bumpy, and narrow The sort of people who buy this type of vehicle then expect everyone else to put up with their anti-social behaviour, are just the sort who would complain bitterly if anyone parked anywhere near their homes. In this country we have a wonderful choice of Campsites to suit most people, but you do have to to pay for them!! There is a a big difference between Wildcamping and Freeloading, and I am afraid there are many on this Forum who come into the latter category. Andy


If you don't want see other motorhome on the roads in Scotland, don't go there. Stay in Sussex, sell YOUR motorhome, dig a big hole in you back garden, and build an Anderton shelter and wait for the tyrant of objects bouncing off the corrugated tin roof.

Stock up on provisions, ear plugs are optional.

What a miserable so and so you are, that attitude should be left in the caravan world


----------



## Sandy_Saunders (Nov 17, 2008)

OK guys, first I am not a troll and to be frank with you, I resent being accused of this sort of antisocial behaviour. 

This topic was posted to bring this forum's attention to the government's response to a topic which is of interest to many of the users of this forum. 

I realise that there is a school of thought which regards those who use aires/stellplatezes etc. as cheapskates, but posting something like this does not constitute trolling.

So unless there is some genuine reason why you do not feel that this should have been posted, I suggest that an apology is in order.

Sandy


----------



## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Sandy I mentioned Troll, it was not aimed at you.

In the Brother's Grimm story it goes I'm a Troll fol-de-roll 

geddit now? 

If not try 

Foll-de-roll


----------



## jonegood (Nov 5, 2007)

I dont think anyone would describe the aire in canterbury as a beauty spot, it just happens to be convenient, this is why I use the aires in France and the stellplatze, they are where. I am happy to pay an appropriate fee but I dont want to be stuck up a lane miles from anywhere. 

I think towing a smart car defeats the object and yes I would like to cycle more but many of our roads are just not suitable - we could have another petition asking where all these cyclepaths are that sustrans are suposed to provide.


----------



## 118187 (Nov 14, 2008)

#foll-de-roll, have you 'googled' your nickname ? The majority of Aires provided by most mainland European countries are very well situated,very well set out and provide the basic necessities for touring camping car'ists. The ones that do not provide these facilities including the United Kingdom are the ones that have the most problems with motor homes. A few ,mainly coastal areas of the continent do not provide Aires and are abused by some motor home users but the ones that do provide well supervised Aires have very few problems. l love to wild camp on coastal areas but I use a rule of thumb if an Aire is not provided, 'Two's company, three's a crowd'.
I do not wish to stay on a camp site and pay extortionate prices(exi for me anyway)for a toilet and kitchen that I already have in my extortionately overpriced mobile house!


----------



## bigfoot (May 16, 2005)

My local authority have just revamped their tourism website and in the accommodation section there is no mention whatsoever of any campsites,despite the fact that we have a Caravan Club site in the area.With this kind of attitude what can you hope for.
I have written to the clowncil pointing out the error of their ways.
See if you can find anything.
www.visitwirral.com


----------

