I posted a few weeks ago that the locals were getting fed up with folk, this post below is from a local and the community association.
Evening all!
Parking at Glencaple Quay - We need your help!
Some of you will know of the Glencaple stopover in Dumfries & Galloway where we try to help manage the now-restricted space at Glencaple Quay for locals, businesses, visitors and motorhomes. We have a wee campervan of our own, so are aware of ‘wild camping’ issues!
THE PROBLEM*****
Along with the Nith Hotel, The Boathouse shop/ café/ restaurant want the parking spaces at the Quay. The Boathouse will be opening in the evenings 3 days a week in mid-September. On busy evenings just now, the Quay can be full of customers at the Nith Hotel alone. Once the Boathouse opens, there is going to be a real issue…
It's only a matter of time before physically restrictive action is taken (barriers/ bollards). And donations from motorhomes is our only source of income for community efforts that keep this shared area in good condition for all.
The businesses have recently tarmacked the main area and left room at the end for motorhomes. The best room we may add – the viewpoint at the end of the Quay. Note that this is not exclusive space, anyone – fishermen who have been coming here for 30 years use this too for example. Negotiations left room for just 5 (more if small campers). Caerlaverock Estate (who own the Boathouse) have provided a camping area (for a donation) at Castle Corner 3 miles south, as an ‘overflow’.
However, there are continually motorhomes parking in the car parking spaces on the Quay - using spaces the businesses need. We have heard of a motorhome parking sideways, taking up 4 spaces, and seen others with table and chairs out in another parking space – using 2 spaces designated for cars… when there is a perfectly good grassed area in front of them.
Note that we (the Community Association) have a limited influence in this area. We originally got the area looking smart – it was a real wasteground from what we hear - help keep it tidy, keep the grass cut etc. as well as designing signs and maintaining a ‘Welcome’ page on our website for visitors. This shared area is actually designated community space – being gifted to the community for their use by the Estate many years ago.
***FURTHER ISSUES***
Some locals feel like this shared space is now a campsite and feel like they are ‘invading’ the personal space of visitors when walking around it. Some mohos set up tables and chairs and have dogs tied up outside etc. There are benches and picnic tables we have provided for public use. Personally we have a dog we can’t take there if there are many dogs tied up, in case there is a noisy ruckus.
We have a 20mph road-safety campaign currently on-going, and the increase in motorhomes in our village with its blind bends and few pavements is an issue that gets raised.
There is the undeniable visual aspect of a bunch of motorhomes in a space where there used to be a beautiful view from the restaurants’ windows.
And on a separate issue, the Estate are having to empty their septic tank 3x more (at a cost) due to motorhomers dumping their waste having been at Glencaple Quay (at least it’s not in the public loos).
We also find, that we are picking up a lot of dog poo and dealing with overflowing bins, which instead of being used for general litter, are being filled with large bags of rubbish from visitors. Yesterday my dog walk was mostly tidying up the mess left, skirting round the outside of the encampment.
Both businesses are booming, the ‘we’ll take our business elsewhere’ argument doesn’t sit with them –the extra parking space will be welcomed. (To put it crudely: 1x motorhome = possible business. 2 or 3x cars = 2 or 3 lots of sure business. [some motorhomes take the space of 2 cars, and in the time 1 motorhome stays in the parking space, the businesses could have served at least 2 or 3 car loads of customers]). The Nith Hotel has an excellent reputation and custom locally, and The Boathouse had 10,000 customers through its doors in the first 3 months trading.
***SIGNS***
With input from the businesses, we have produced signs recently, to complement the existing signs, to make it clear what the community and businesses need.
o Keep car parking spaces clear between 9am and 9pm *** NOTE! This does not mean NO moho parking in daytime. The 'best' area at the end of the Quay is where it should be restricted to. We're talking about the car parking spaces that should be left clear. It's pretty generous really.
o Overnighting welcome - 9pm to 9am
o Other ‘good practice’ in brief (i.e. how to behave respectfully)
This is a monitored trial – an experiment or test if you like, and we really hope it works. However, the signs went up on 1st August, and already the businesses are, understandably, reaching the end of their tether… as the signs are being wilfully ignored at times.
Some motorhomes have parked right in front of the signs which specifically state no parking until 9pm. We have read threads on here asking ‘is this sign legally enforceable?’ etc. Our real difficulty is that with this kind of attitude, enforcement by means of height or width barriers are going to be put in place.
It could all go swimmingly, and it needs to be sustainable, but ignoring the signs will kill it all off. And we’ve reached the knife edge of that point now. We as the Caerlaverock Community Association, and myself as a campervanner, have been trying to communicate with all parties. With credit to the lovely motorhomers we have spoken to.
This long post then has a point!
***SUGGESTIONS PLEASE***
What can we do? What might actually work? Have you seen something elsewhere which is working? Practical suggestions and ideas welcome, with thanks!
Some references online to show the efforts made to keep this project sustainable – because we are well aware as campervanners ourselves the lack of this kind of facility in the UK.
Our motorhomers welcome Page:
https://caerlaverock.org.uk/motorhomes-in-caerlaverock/
New Signs up:
https://caerlaverock.org.uk/new-signs-for-motorhomers-at-glencaple-quay/
Donations Page:
https://caerlaverock.org.uk/donate/
Useful info Page:
https://caerlaverock.org.uk/useful-info/
Evening all!
Parking at Glencaple Quay - We need your help!
Some of you will know of the Glencaple stopover in Dumfries & Galloway where we try to help manage the now-restricted space at Glencaple Quay for locals, businesses, visitors and motorhomes. We have a wee campervan of our own, so are aware of ‘wild camping’ issues!
THE PROBLEM*****
Along with the Nith Hotel, The Boathouse shop/ café/ restaurant want the parking spaces at the Quay. The Boathouse will be opening in the evenings 3 days a week in mid-September. On busy evenings just now, the Quay can be full of customers at the Nith Hotel alone. Once the Boathouse opens, there is going to be a real issue…
It's only a matter of time before physically restrictive action is taken (barriers/ bollards). And donations from motorhomes is our only source of income for community efforts that keep this shared area in good condition for all.
The businesses have recently tarmacked the main area and left room at the end for motorhomes. The best room we may add – the viewpoint at the end of the Quay. Note that this is not exclusive space, anyone – fishermen who have been coming here for 30 years use this too for example. Negotiations left room for just 5 (more if small campers). Caerlaverock Estate (who own the Boathouse) have provided a camping area (for a donation) at Castle Corner 3 miles south, as an ‘overflow’.
However, there are continually motorhomes parking in the car parking spaces on the Quay - using spaces the businesses need. We have heard of a motorhome parking sideways, taking up 4 spaces, and seen others with table and chairs out in another parking space – using 2 spaces designated for cars… when there is a perfectly good grassed area in front of them.
Note that we (the Community Association) have a limited influence in this area. We originally got the area looking smart – it was a real wasteground from what we hear - help keep it tidy, keep the grass cut etc. as well as designing signs and maintaining a ‘Welcome’ page on our website for visitors. This shared area is actually designated community space – being gifted to the community for their use by the Estate many years ago.
***FURTHER ISSUES***
Some locals feel like this shared space is now a campsite and feel like they are ‘invading’ the personal space of visitors when walking around it. Some mohos set up tables and chairs and have dogs tied up outside etc. There are benches and picnic tables we have provided for public use. Personally we have a dog we can’t take there if there are many dogs tied up, in case there is a noisy ruckus.
We have a 20mph road-safety campaign currently on-going, and the increase in motorhomes in our village with its blind bends and few pavements is an issue that gets raised.
There is the undeniable visual aspect of a bunch of motorhomes in a space where there used to be a beautiful view from the restaurants’ windows.
And on a separate issue, the Estate are having to empty their septic tank 3x more (at a cost) due to motorhomers dumping their waste having been at Glencaple Quay (at least it’s not in the public loos).
We also find, that we are picking up a lot of dog poo and dealing with overflowing bins, which instead of being used for general litter, are being filled with large bags of rubbish from visitors. Yesterday my dog walk was mostly tidying up the mess left, skirting round the outside of the encampment.
Both businesses are booming, the ‘we’ll take our business elsewhere’ argument doesn’t sit with them –the extra parking space will be welcomed. (To put it crudely: 1x motorhome = possible business. 2 or 3x cars = 2 or 3 lots of sure business. [some motorhomes take the space of 2 cars, and in the time 1 motorhome stays in the parking space, the businesses could have served at least 2 or 3 car loads of customers]). The Nith Hotel has an excellent reputation and custom locally, and The Boathouse had 10,000 customers through its doors in the first 3 months trading.
***SIGNS***
With input from the businesses, we have produced signs recently, to complement the existing signs, to make it clear what the community and businesses need.
o Keep car parking spaces clear between 9am and 9pm *** NOTE! This does not mean NO moho parking in daytime. The 'best' area at the end of the Quay is where it should be restricted to. We're talking about the car parking spaces that should be left clear. It's pretty generous really.
o Overnighting welcome - 9pm to 9am
o Other ‘good practice’ in brief (i.e. how to behave respectfully)
This is a monitored trial – an experiment or test if you like, and we really hope it works. However, the signs went up on 1st August, and already the businesses are, understandably, reaching the end of their tether… as the signs are being wilfully ignored at times.
Some motorhomes have parked right in front of the signs which specifically state no parking until 9pm. We have read threads on here asking ‘is this sign legally enforceable?’ etc. Our real difficulty is that with this kind of attitude, enforcement by means of height or width barriers are going to be put in place.
It could all go swimmingly, and it needs to be sustainable, but ignoring the signs will kill it all off. And we’ve reached the knife edge of that point now. We as the Caerlaverock Community Association, and myself as a campervanner, have been trying to communicate with all parties. With credit to the lovely motorhomers we have spoken to.
This long post then has a point!
***SUGGESTIONS PLEASE***
What can we do? What might actually work? Have you seen something elsewhere which is working? Practical suggestions and ideas welcome, with thanks!
Some references online to show the efforts made to keep this project sustainable – because we are well aware as campervanners ourselves the lack of this kind of facility in the UK.
Our motorhomers welcome Page:
https://caerlaverock.org.uk/motorhomes-in-caerlaverock/
New Signs up:
https://caerlaverock.org.uk/new-signs-for-motorhomers-at-glencaple-quay/
Donations Page:
https://caerlaverock.org.uk/donate/
Useful info Page:
https://caerlaverock.org.uk/useful-info/
