It appears that Camping Car Parks are a little underhand.

[Speve]

There has been a lot of support for Camping Car Parks in France? However it seems from this article they have been putting clauses in their agreements with the local mayor to ban parking elsewhere in their towns? Read below.

Stay at the aire or move on!

CampingCarPark aire at Amboise, Centre There appears to be a growing trend for towns that have agreed to convert their municipal aires to a CampingCarPark aire, to also introduce a bye-law prohibiting motorhomes from parking in any of the municipal car parks. This then unfairly means that any...

www.motorhomingfrance.co.uk

Although some are good there is a price to pay for those that choose not to use them and that is not good I for one will avoid using them again until they come clean and stop their monopolising tactics.

 

[AndyPK]

Not surprising, trying to ‘force’ Motorhomes to use their sites, is it?
Pretty underhand to deny any involvement though…….

 

[Eddystone]

That article is from February 2021.
Has the situation changed?

 

[jumar]

There has been a lot of support for Camping Car Parks in France? However it seems from this article they have been putting clauses in their agreements with the local mayor to ban parking elsewhere in their towns? Read below.

Stay at the aire or move on!

CampingCarPark aire at Amboise, Centre There appears to be a growing trend for towns that have agreed to convert their municipal aires to a CampingCarPark aire, to also introduce a bye-law prohibiting motorhomes from parking in any of the municipal car parks. This then unfairly means that any...

www.motorhomingfrance.co.uk

Don't see a problem with controlling where visitors park to be honest.....and to deny any involvement is fairly normal practice...

 

[Speve]

Don't see a problem with controlling where visitors park to be honest.....

Not good though if you only want a couple of hours to shop or visit

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[Speve]

That article is from February 2021.
Has the situation changed?

It’s just been reposted in Motorhoming France news letter that other towns are banning parking in their municipal car parks.

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MotorhomingFrance is a website which is designed to be an invaluable resource for anyone who visits or plans to visit France in a motorhome. The site covers various aspects of motorhoming in France, news on aires, travel news, useful info, tourism, motorhome books

www.motorhomingfrance.co.uk

 

[jumar]

Not good though if you only want a couple of hours to shop or visit

That's another matter indeed.... I'm sure bye-laws would be there to control overnight stays.....similar to erecting height barriers...

 

[Oldrat]

Sometimes you just want to pop into a town.
I can’t see the difference between a campervan and a commercial vehicle, unless commercial vans are banned from parking too.

As it happens I rarely use campsites and only occasionally use aires when I need services replenishing.

 

[Speve]

That's another matter indeed.... I'm sure bye-laws would be there to control overnight stays.....similar to erecting height barriers...

If you read the article in the links above that does not seem to be the case and French MH association is trying to solve it
Here’s some details
CampingCarPark aire at Amboise, Centre

There appears to be a growing trend for towns that have agreed to convert their municipal aires to a CampingCarPark aire, to also introduce a bye-law prohibiting motorhomes from parking in any of the municipal car parks. This then unfairly means that any motorhome visitor to these towns now has to park at the aire (which may in fact be full) - even if they are only staying for just a short while.

Five towns that have recently converted to CampingCarPark aires have also coincidentally taken steps to ban motorhomes from parking in the municipal car parks. The communes of Toulon-sur-Arroux, St Andre-des-eaux, Merlimont, l’Argentiere-la-Bessee & Veuzain sur Loire have all issued laws that force motorhomes to use the CCP aire if they want to stay in the town. Whilst it seems a strange coincidence, CCP have denied that they have any involvement in the introduction of these bye laws although they obviously profit from these rules.

The French motorhome magazine ‘CampingCar’ however has obtained a copy of an agreement between CCP and one of the towns concerned & found that the following clause is contained in the agreement regarding the conversion of the aire; ‘This agreement is directly linked to a municipal decree prohibiting the overnight parking of motorhomes, outside existing campsites or motorhome areas present in the town.’ This therefore appears to confirm that CCP are obviously keen to force visiting motorhomes into their aires whether they wish to stay the night or not.

This trend has not gone unnoticed by the French ‘Comité de Liaison du Camping-car’ - an association protecting the rights of motorhome owners. The association has recently come to an agreement with four other towns which have CCP aires & which also had a bye-law forbidding motorhome parking. After negotiations with the communes of Riantec (56), La Séguinière (49), Moulismes (86) & Saint-Antoine-de-Breuilh (24), the association has managed to get the bye-laws withdrawn hence allowing motorhomes to park without having to stay on the CCP aires.

CCP are obviously a business & are keen for motorhomes to stay on their aires, however in a country where motorhome parking is allowed in most locations it is worrying to see these laws being introduced – especially considering CCP have aires in over 200 locations throughout France.

 

[Reallyretired]

Note the agreement only mentions overnight parking, so would not stop anyone parking to visit.
The only one of these I have stayed at is Toulon-sur-Arroux. A splendid aire formerly the municipal camp site. It even has showers in the high season only.

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[nicholsong]

If you read the article in the links above that does not seem to be the case and French MH association is trying to solve it
Here’s some details
CampingCarPark aire at Amboise, Centre

There appears to be a growing trend for towns that have agreed to convert their municipal aires to a CampingCarPark aire, to also introduce a bye-law prohibiting motorhomes from parking in any of the municipal car parks. This then unfairly means that any motorhome visitor to these towns now has to park at the aire (which may in fact be full) - even if they are only staying for just a short while.

Five towns that have recently converted to CampingCarPark aires have also coincidentally taken steps to ban motorhomes from parking in the municipal car parks. The communes of Toulon-sur-Arroux, St Andre-des-eaux, Merlimont, l’Argentiere-la-Bessee & Veuzain sur Loire have all issued laws that force motorhomes to use the CCP aire if they want to stay in the town. Whilst it seems a strange coincidence, CCP have denied that they have any involvement in the introduction of these bye laws although they obviously profit from these rules.

The French motorhome magazine ‘CampingCar’ however has obtained a copy of an agreement between CCP and one of the towns concerned & found that the following clause is contained in the agreement regarding the conversion of the aire; ‘This agreement is directly linked to a municipal decree prohibiting the overnight parking of motorhomes, outside existing campsites or motorhome areas present in the town.’ This therefore appears to confirm that CCP are obviously keen to force visiting motorhomes into their aires whether they wish to stay the night or not.

This trend has not gone unnoticed by the French ‘Comité de Liaison du Camping-car’ - an association protecting the rights of motorhome owners. The association has recently come to an agreement with four other towns which have CCP aires & which also had a bye-law forbidding motorhome parking. After negotiations with the communes of Riantec (56), La Séguinière (49), Moulismes (86) & Saint-Antoine-de-Breuilh (24), the association has managed to get the bye-laws withdrawn hence allowing motorhomes to park without having to stay on the CCP aires.

CCP are obviously a business & are keen for motorhomes to stay on their aires, however in a country where motorhome parking is allowed in most locations it is worrying to see these laws being introduced – especially considering CCP have aires in over 200 locations throughout France.

I am interested to know what is meant by 'motorhome areas present in the town'.

This is only the clause in CCP's agreement and would depend on the by-law as drafted.

Of course 'motorhome areas' would include campsites, but would it include other non-CCP aires, or parking areas where there are no restriction signs, including public streets.

The clause states 'overnight parking of motorhomes' but no mention of sleeping. If prohibits only a certain class of vehicle from 'parking' I would have thought that any by-law based on that would be discriminatory and Ultra Vires.

No dobt the French Camping-car fraternite are on to these points. Good luck to them.

Geoff

 

[pagey]

What do you expect profit matters

 

[nicholsong]

What do you expect profit matters

But the Rule of Law matters more than profit, particularly in this case Competition Law and Anti-Discrimination Law.

The Mairies should be paying more attention to the Rule of Law and not favouring one commercial organisation.

One is starting to sniff 'backhanders'

 

[jumar]

If you read the article in the links above that does not seem to be the case and French MH association is trying to solve it
Here’s some details
CampingCarPark aire at Amboise, Centre

There appears to be a growing trend for towns that have agreed to convert their municipal aires to a CampingCarPark aire, to also introduce a bye-law prohibiting motorhomes from parking in any of the municipal car parks. This then unfairly means that any motorhome visitor to these towns now has to park at the aire (which may in fact be full) - even if they are only staying for just a short while.

Five towns that have recently converted to CampingCarPark aires have also coincidentally taken steps to ban motorhomes from parking in the municipal car parks. The communes of Toulon-sur-Arroux, St Andre-des-eaux, Merlimont, l’Argentiere-la-Bessee & Veuzain sur Loire have all issued laws that force motorhomes to use the CCP aire if they want to stay in the town. Whilst it seems a strange coincidence, CCP have denied that they have any involvement in the introduction of these bye laws although they obviously profit from these rules.

The French motorhome magazine ‘CampingCar’ however has obtained a copy of an agreement between CCP and one of the towns concerned & found that the following clause is contained in the agreement regarding the conversion of the aire; ‘This agreement is directly linked to a municipal decree prohibiting the overnight parking of motorhomes, outside existing campsites or motorhome areas present in the town.’ This therefore appears to confirm that CCP are obviously keen to force visiting motorhomes into their aires whether they wish to stay the night or not.

This trend has not gone unnoticed by the French ‘Comité de Liaison du Camping-car’ - an association protecting the rights of motorhome owners. The association has recently come to an agreement with four other towns which have CCP aires & which also had a bye-law forbidding motorhome parking. After negotiations with the communes of Riantec (56), La Séguinière (49), Moulismes (86) & Saint-Antoine-de-Breuilh (24), the association has managed to get the bye-laws withdrawn hence allowing motorhomes to park without having to stay on the CCP aires.

CCP are obviously a business & are keen for motorhomes to stay on their aires, however in a country where motorhome parking is allowed in most locations it is worrying to see these laws being introduced – especially considering CCP have aires in over 200 locations throughout France.

Read it.....not at all surprised with how Motorhoming will develope in the coming years.....here in Spain we will see changes in time.....the chance to make some income will be one of those changes.....controlling numbers and antisocial behaviour will be another....
The freedom to park as you will in France may have had it's day too...

 

[pagey]

But the Rule of Law matters more than profit, particularly in this case Competition Law and Anti-Discrimination Law.

The Mairies should be paying more attention to the Rule of Law and not favouring one commercial organisation.

One is starting to sniff 'backhanders'

Exactly my point

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[maison]

Not good though if you only want a couple of hours to shop or visit

The ban only applies to overnighting, doesn’t it? Or have I got that wrong?

 

[ceejayt]

How do you know which towns will have the bye law in place? Hopefully it will be clearly signed.

 

[iandsm]

I doubt that French motorhomers will give a stuff and just carry on as always, dong exactly waste they want.

 

[Jenben]

I am not sure this is any different to the signs we have seen as we enter French villages, especially popular ones.

The signs outline (I paraphrase) that it is only possible for overnight camping in designated areas as outlined by the Marie?

 

[nicholsong]

I am not sure this is any different to the signs we have seen as we enter French villages, especially popular ones.

The signs outline (I paraphrase) that it is only possible for overnight camping in designated areas as outlined by the Marie?

The difference between Napoleonic Law where anything is only possible if authorised and English Common Law where anything is possible unless forbidden.

So the French only need a few signs at the entrance to the village and the British need multiple signs on each CP.

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[Just smiffy]

I doubt for one second that that the French will take any notice and even more doubt that there is anyone going to move you on, no one will enforce it…