Anger over motor home owners who dump their 'effluence' on the Burnham Explanade (2 Viewers)

[scotjimland]

The owners of motor homes have been causing anti-social problems in Burnham said Cllr Miss Louise Parkin at this week’s town council meeting.

“With regards to motor homes,” she said, “I really don’t think enough it being done to stop them parking on the Esplanade overnight. We are not in competition with car parks and sites that are near the town. When they do park there overnight, nine times out of 10 they empty their rubbish and their effluence afterwards. It should be stamped out.”

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NB> Think it should be should be 'effluent'

 

[gus-lopez]

Some excellent comments on the link.

 

[Gromett]

9 out 10. She must be making that up surely?

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[sedge]

I'd have liked to have seen the timed and dated photos that she took to back up her claims ! If there aren't any. why would that be, one has to enquire?

Surely her Council provide adequate rubbish bins for 'rubbish' - and empty them often enough - don't they?

 

[maison]

I believe she has been told A million times not to exaggerate!

Still. It is terrible publicity for us and will be believed by many (9/10?) readers of the local news.

 

[scotjimland]

frankly, I think she is talking a lot of crap .. sorry, 'effluent' .. or should that be effluence

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[GJH]

I became aware of this story last Friday so sent an e-mail to the address given for the reporter and copied to the councillor.

Since 2006 I have run a web site, http://www.motorhomeparking.co.uk/, the main aims of which are to direct motorhome drivers to places where it is safe and legal for them to park and to direct motorhome drivers away from areas where they might encounter difficulties or cause difficulties for others. The aims were based on the premise that it is as important for people to know where parking of motorhomes is not possible as it is to know where they can go - drivers wish to avoid frustration and owners of facilities do not want their roads/car parks clogging up with large vehicles looking for non-existent facilities.

Having just seen your article http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co....p_their__effluence__on_the_Burnham_Explanade/ I am somewhat mystified. The Sedgemoor Council parking order quoted relates to off street car parks and, as far as I am aware, parking at The Esplanade at Burnham is on street so is the responsibility of Somerset County Council. Also as far as I am aware, there is no specific mention of motorhomes within Somerset County Council's on street Traffic Regulation Orders. That being the case, if motor home owners are parking up overnight with the intention of sleeping in the vehicle there are no local parking regulations for them to break.

As a responsible motorhome owner I regard any dumping of rubbish and effluent, other than in a proper place, as disgusting. If Councillor Miss Parkin has real evidence to back up the assertion that "When they do park there overnight, nine times out of 10 they empty their rubbish and their effluence afterwards." then the proper course of action is to take that evidence to the police and/or the appropriate local authority so that the guilty can be punished and I would urge Councillor Miss Parkin to do so without any further delay.

However, given the inaccuracies in relation to the parking regulations noted above, I do have to wonder whether such evidence actually exists or whether we have a case of Chinese whispers or misunderstanding.

Motorhome owners like to spend the night close to town centres so that they can patronise local businesses, trade that would be lost to those businesses were they forced to go elsewhere. Having said that, however, if motorhome owners are truly causing a nuisance then action does need to be taken. Any such action, though, needs to be taken on the basis of facts rather than inaccurate information.

I am copying Councillor Miss Parkin in on this message both for her information and because I would be most interested to know of any real evidence held.

I received a reply from the councillor less than 10 minutes later:

Dear sir,
As someone who has a business on the esplanade at Burnham-on-sea I am well aware of what goes on the as I do approximately 13-14 hours a day in the summer. However since I am working I don't have time to collect evidence and take it to our sometimes manned police station or to Bridgwater either. However believe me in 47 years I have seen many occurrences as I alluded to at the town council meeting. Also if you read the parking meters on the esplanade you will see that motor homes are not supposed to park there overnight.
Yours faithfully,
Louise Parkin
General manager Burnham Pavilion

That provided the opportunity to further point out where she was wrong:

Dear Councillor Parkin,

Thank you for your reply.

As I mentioned previously, I regard any dumping of rubbish and effluent, other than in a proper place, as disgusting. It seems rather a pity, then, that you have time to observe what goes on but have not been able to use that time to jot down the registration numbers of the vehicles involved or to take a few quick photos and e-mail those details to the police. May I suggest that had you done so then any such bad behaviour might have been nipped in the bud long ago.

As regards the parking meters on the Esplanade, as I don't live in the area I only have access to the photographs of the notices on Google Street View. Looking at those photographs I am unable to see anything detailing restrictions on motorhomes (or any other vehicle for that matter) parking there overnight. That is hardly surprising because no such restriction exists in The County of Somerset Prohibition and Restriction of Stopping, Waiting, Loading and Unloading and On-Street Parking Sedgemoor Order 2012 (which can be examined on-line at http://tro.parking-adjudication.gov.uk/TRO/Somerset/US02.pdf). The only restriction is a requirement for payment (allied to a maximum waiting time of 4 hours) during the hours of 9am to 6pm on each day from 1st April to 30th September inclusive (i.e. no overnight restriction at any time of the year).

Perhaps, at this stage, I should point out (for the avoidance of any doubt) that a motorhome fits the definition of "motor car" in S136 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

As I said in my previous message, if motorhome owners are truly causing a nuisance then action needs to be taken. I would strongly reiterate, though, that any such action needs to be taken on the basis of facts (i.e. not on the basis of hearsay and inaccurate understanding of parking restrictions).

I am sure that you are as interested in openness as I am so, having copied my e-mail to Mr Mottram to you, I shall also copy this message to him.

I know she has read the message (as has the reporter) but I have heard nothing since

 

[scotjimland]

I know she has read the message (as has the reporter) but I have heard nothing since

we await with bated breath... but I fear rather a long wait

 

[Minxy]

Nice one Graham!

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[Popeye]

Thanks Graham @GJH , I do not consider my self poorly educated but I have to admit that it would have taken me a long time to word, so effectively those emails.

So on behalf of all who read them and wished that they too could compose such accurate and well worded responses; a very sincere thank you.

 

[Speve]

I became aware of this story last Friday so sent an e-mail to the address given for the reporter and copied to the councillor.

I received a reply from the councillor less than 10 minutes later:

That provided the opportunity to further point out where she was wrong:

I know she has read the message (as has the reporter) but I have heard nothing since

@GJH I would like to say thanks on behalf of us at MHF for the time and effort you have put in to address the issues with said councilor it is much appreciated

 

[f6c]

Well written Graham good on you.

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[Khizzie]

Goes for so many of us as well .thankyou ...Roy

 

[LAM]

BRILLIANT, Graham very succinct and informative.

 

[Alan]

Well written Graham,l'm sure the counciller in question never expected to come up against a motorhomer with such knowledge about parking regulations.
Alan

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[Theonlysue]

Well done Graham!!
Always knew you was a clever ol' stick

 

[lunarman]

The Lady has history on the subject of Motorhome Parking.

http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2013/motorhome-parking-15-02-13.php

In 2013 there was a proposal to allow overnight parking in Pier Street carpark where there are designated Motorhome Parking bays. This was objected to by the coucil. Perhaps the Parking meters she was alluding to are the ones at the car park where overnight parking and camping etc is prohibited by order of Sedgmoor District Council.
Broken Link Removed

They appear to have a situation where you can stay on the esplanade "on road" but not in designated motorhome bays in the off street car park.

 

[Old Soldier]

Good on you Graham. I don't live too far from Burnham so could go down, investigate and take some photos if it would be helpful?.
P.S. I could also take the van and take the opportunity to empty my rubbish and waste, save doing it at home!!

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[GJH]

They appear to have a situation where you can stay on the esplanade "on road" but not in designated motorhome bays in the off street car park.

Correct John. Off street parking is a function of Sedgemoor District Council, which bans overnight parking, whilst on street parking is a function of Somerset County Council, which has no such restriction in its parking order for Sedgemoor district.

we await with bated breath... but I fear rather a long wait

The paper concerned is a weekly so I suppose it depends on what else has happened in the area it covers as to whether the reporter writes a follow-up article. His only comment so far has been "
Thanks Graham. Good letter."

 

[Graham and Jane]

Well done. Thank you

 

[keith]

Thank you Graham, too many times these people never get taken to task about what they say, whether their claims are true or not.

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[DanielFord]

Nice, like it, I do hate it when politicians use unsubstantiated rubbish and present it as fact hoping that nobody will pick up on it! Well I think Graham sorted that Watching this thread keenly

 

[JJ]

Well done Graham... brilliant to see you actually doing something helpful for motorhomers rather than just moaning...

JJ

 

[Eddystone]

Some excellent comments on the link.

I agree. More enlightened and optimistic that most.

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[gus-lopez]

@GJH excellent job !

 

[9526]

Well done Graham, very well written correspondence.

As for the comments section, I'm more offended by being referred to as a "conservative" than being accused of dumping poo!!

 

[MR. FUSION]

I became aware of this story last Friday so sent an e-mail to the address given for the reporter and copied to the councillor.

I received a reply from the councillor less than 10 minutes later:

That provided the opportunity to further point out where she was wrong:

I know she has read the message (as has the reporter) but I have heard nothing since

She 'has a business' but quotes herself as the general manager of the pavilion ? So does she own the pavilion or have a separate business on the side which is also at the esplanade location? The games afoot here Watson, we need to look further into this matter

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[GWAYGWAY]

I think she is jealous, and ACTUALLY MEANT ' AFFLUENCE' , because we are perceived as being better off the she is as we have EXPENSIVE Motorhomes to leave parked around there and the rubbish is the campervans, because they cost less.

 

[angusboy]

Hi i spend quite a bit of time in burnham live very close, never seen noproblems at all with rubbish etc, in all fairness dont see many motorhomes near front at all, if theres anything i can do please mail me. As i think this is bollocks, sedgemoor resident all my life

 

[Chris]

Good job Graham

By the way , why is it disgusting to dispose of ones "effluence"?

Are we supposed to eat or drink it?

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