England motor homing

[Jewellbags]

Inspired by our recent trips to wales and even more so to Normandy - has there been a converted campaign to improve motor-homing in the UK ? . Im thinking about all of those sleepy seaside towns ( and inland) where a few extra tourists quids would be useful .

has there been a campaign ?

 

[romany]

To many business against it you can't have value for money here you will give rich share holders a heart attack

 

[Lenny HB]

Gave up with the UK too much hassle, like you we live near a ferry port so take the sensible option.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Inspired by our recent trips to wales and even more so to Normandy - has there been a converted campaign to improve motor-homing in the UK ? . Im thinking about all of those sleepy seaside towns ( and inland) where a few extra tourists quids would be useful .

has there been a campaign ?

Head and brick wall Spring to mind

 

[romany]

we need a Barbara castle type transport minister who in 1968 passed laws protecting our canals and directing cash to them to reopen and improve them. We need one who like Barbara realises the financial benefits of leisure pursuits

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[maison]

If Jim agrees couldn’t this Forum start a campaign for Aire type stop-overs in the UK?

We would definitely have an uphill struggle but, perhaps, regular articles in MHF Magazine may start to nudge things in the right direction.

Regular contributions to a “Letters to the Editor” page may help.

The same to MMM and Practical Motor Home.

I’m willing if the rest of you are!

 

[eddie]

Most councils are closing facilities down due to abuse. France isn't faring much better with so many formerly free Aires switch to Camper Car Connect

Which I must admit I do use and like

I am 59 and my wife and I were lucky enough to have bought our first motorhome in 1988 (I was 28) and we have seen loads of petitions and campaigns

It would be a start to get free overnighting in motorway services lol

 

[eddie]

If Jim agrees couldn’t this Forum start a campaign for Aire type stop-overs in the UK?

We would definitely have an uphill struggle but, perhaps, regular articles in MHF Magazine may start to nudge things in the right direction.

Regular contributions to a “Letters to the Editor” page may help.

I’m willing if the rest of you are!

But they already exist

Britstops, free parking guides, CL's Fun even have their own CL's Toby Carvery allow overnighting

 

[Wombles]

What about Fun Stops - subscriber only list of places that are happy to offer Funsters overnight parking free or low cost? Bit like MCC Nightstops or Brit Stops but could be fellow members with a bit of available space or any type of business that might be interested. Just an idea but it could work...

 

[maison]

But they already exist

Britstops, free parking guides, CL's Fun even have their own CL's Toby Carvery allow overnighting

OK, I take your point, but, on touring Scotland and Northern England over a 20 day period recently we found it difficult to find anywhere open in the areas where we wanted to stay.

BritStops are great, we use them. We also ask at non-listed pubs and usually get permission if we eat or drink there. However, in France and Germany, Aires/Stellplatz, bring in money to villages without the need for Pub stops etc.

Are you suggesting that Britain is as user friendly as the mainland of Europe? And if not, why shouldn’t it be?

BTW what Cl’s does MHF have other a very limited number operated by enlightened members?

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[63720]

Not a hope, take your money where it's wanted and that's over the channel.

 

[DBK]

Inspired by our recent trips to wales and even more so to Normandy - has there been a converted campaign to improve motor-homing in the UK ? . Im thinking about all of those sleepy seaside towns ( and inland) where a few extra tourists quids would be useful .

has there been a campaign ?

There have been many threads on here and there has been more than one petition started on the Government website. All have come to nothing. There are a handful of aires, such as the one at Canterbury but they are the exception.

There's no single reason why it doesn't happen but the factors include legal restrictions, insurance costs, fear of Travellers, the planning system, local objections and perhaps above all the financial pressure councils are under. If they can't fully fund their schools, parking for MHs will be far down the list of priorities. The benefit to the local economy of a dozen MHs is negligible which is probably why municipal aires in France seem to be struggling in many places.

 

[eddie]

OK, I take your point, but, on touring Scotland and Northern England over a 20 day period recently we found it difficult to find anywhere open in the areas where we wanted to stay.

BritStops are great, we use them. We also ask at non-listed pubs and usually get permission if we eat or drink there. However, in France and Germany, Aires/Stellplatz, bring in money to villages without the need for Pub stops etc.

Are you suggesting that Britain is as user friendly as the mainland of Europe? And if not, why shouldn’t it be?

BTW what Cl’s does MHF have other a very limited number operated by enlightened members?

I am not saying anything just that so many people have tried and no one really cares enough to bother.

I would personally love it, but, Land is a lot more expensive we have an issue with Irish travellers being a bloody nuisance to existing parking areas and campsites and there are already viable alternatives for a lot of the time

Scotland I believe you can overnight anywhere already

As I said, it would be great start if you could stop overnight in a motorway service area in the UK without it costing £20 - £25 quid

Every couple of years or so, someone starts an online petition which stalls at a couple of thousand, signatures well short of the 100,000 needed before anyone takes it seriously

There simply are not enough motorhomes in the UK to make a difference

 

[poppycamper]

Think thread title should be British Motor Homing..... Not England Motor Homing.

 

[63720]

I am not saying anything just that so many people have tried and no one really cares enough to bother.

I would personally love it, but, Land is a lot more expensive we have an issue with Irish travellers being a bloody nuisance to existing parking areas and campsites and there are already viable alternatives for a lot of the time

Scotland I believe you can overnight anywhere already

As I said, it would be great start if you could stop overnight in a motorway service area in the UK without it costing £20 - £25 quid

Every couple of years or so, someone starts an online petition which stalls at a couple of thousand, signatures well short of the 100,000 needed before anyone takes it seriously

There simply are not enough motorhomes in the UK to make a difference

There are travellers in France but they have to comply with the law so usually aren't a problem. Over here we're too weak to legislate so they're a nuisance and everyone is afraid to deal with them and we suffer the consequences.

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[busby]

Weather not good enough very often for me in the UK,,that's why we head abroad and try and follow the sun ??BUSBY.

 

[AXO66]

Copy the french.....well sort of.

has to be part of an organised campaign, with simple objectives, but the thought of ALL funsters and their facebook motor-homing friends, participating in a guided tour up or down the M5 or Mx might bring home how many motorhomes there are that need catering for.?
(well would be fun at least.)

 

[Ernesto]

I guess the Govt doesn't "need" to do anything? Its a shame they prefer to erect barriers rather than use the law to deal with those that abuse the system though

 

[maison]

I am not saying anything just that so many people have tried and no one really cares enough to bother.

I would personally love it, but, Land is a lot more expensive we have an issue with Irish travellers being a bloody nuisance to existing parking areas and campsites and there are already viable alternatives for a lot of the time

Scotland I believe you can overnight anywhere already

As I said, it would be great start if you could stop overnight in a motorway service area in the UK without it costing £20 - £25 quid

Every couple of years or so, someone starts an online petition which stalls at a couple of thousand, signatures well short of the 100,000 needed before anyone takes it seriously

There simply are not enough motorhomes in the UK to make a difference

I can’t disagree with anything you say here. We have tried before.

If you can can suggest a way forward I, for one, would come on board.

Perhaps it is because we haven’t found common cause that so far we have been unsuccessful. With the number of Motorhomers in the UK, mainly but not exclusively of the grey generation, we are the people with disposable income.

We need a pressure group on our behalf. Any offers to co-ordinate out there?

 

[Ernesto]

Not sure a group of (on average relatively) well off baby boomers, campaigning for improved facilities so that we can enjoy our leisure time even more, is going to able to apply very much pressure ??

I see in todays press, another temporary traveller encampment has become permanent, despite local objections and planning permission refusal ...maybe instead of trying to apply pressure, we should just occupy Watford Gap services ...??

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[romany]

Not sure a group of (on average relatively) well off baby boomers, campaigning for improved facilities so that we can enjoy our leisure time even more, is going to able to apply very much pressure ??

I see in todays press, another temporary traveller encampment has become permanent, despite local objections and planning permission refusal ...maybe instead of trying to apply pressure, we should just occupy Watford Gap services ...??

Not sure in this case because I don't know the one your talking about but most Traveler temporary sites come about because the local authority has not met its legal provided site requirement and if that same authority does not remedy the situation then the temporary site becomes permanent. I admit I am a bit out of date with the latest rulings but the advantage for our authority having the correct legal sites was we were able to take much quicker action to move illegal ones on.

Now as for aires here. as an FLT i think over the last 6-7 years things have been steadily improving with apps like park4night, campercontact, search4sites, Wildcampingmoonfruit.pub stopovers.com same company sites under £15. plus quite a few councils becoming more enlightened I have spent the day researching some of these today and found many free stop overs many that if you have a drink or a meal allow overnight (toby's carvery for one) and many ranging from a fiver to 15 pounds inclusive of electricand I have booked a small camping park pitch on the river 7 for the princely sum of £11 inclu EHU a night over the half term period something I never usually do