Well....at least she's having a go (1 Viewer)

[Barclaybasher]

Letter to
Prime Minster of the United Kingdom Rt Hon David Cameron MP

Dear Mr Cameron

"Aires" in France and "Stellplatz" in Germany are the names of areas of provision for Motorhomes to park-up overnight either free of charge or at a nominal rate. In some cases there are grey water disposal and Elsan disposal points and also fresh water for drinking is provided. There are also these kind of areas in other EU countries but I do not know their particular names.

My point is that, in the UK, we make no such provision to welcome tourists to our country and encourage them to travel around, spending their Euros or Dollars!!

In some European countries we have stayed on motorway service areas overnight free of charge and have been made welcome. There are even showering facilities at some! This it not possible in the UK.

In some areas, the councils put up very unwelcoming signs "No overnight parking for Motorhomes" and the like. It is not always possible to plan journeys that take one exactly from one campsite to another, we have sometimes just got to stop on the way to somewhere. Friends who live on the continent of Europe say to many of us that the UK is a very unfriendly place for people with Motorhomes.

We would like you to ask the minister concerned to look into the possibility of providing better services for those of us who wish to holiday in this way.

We can't even park at the car parks and park ride in towns because of height barriers,if we want just a day visit

It would also add to the economy of the areas, as we need fuel, food and we also eat out at the local restaurants and generally spend money in the areas we stop in.

FROM FACEBOOK

 

[scotjimland]

and where to sign

https://www.change.org/p/rt-hon-dav...-overnight-parking-as-on-aires-and-stellplatz

 

[Fenman]

Who is "she"?
I don't do Facebook so have not got a clue.
While writing I see Jim added a link so I may find a name there.

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[DBK]

On dear, with friends like that who needs enemies?

Just one error alone sinks it - that you can't stop overnight and shower at motorway service points in the UK. Yes you can, it costs money and I don't think they all have showers but some do. And stopping at French motorways service areas overnight for example, is strongly discouraged.

It will go straight into the bin or perhaps scrunched into a ball and given to the Downing Street cat to play with.

 

[scotjimland]

Who is "she"?
I don't do Facebook so have not got a clue.
While writing I see Jim added a link so I may find a name there.

it's actually a male
James Brownsett Bedford, United Kingdom

 

[big map]

Signed. 164 to reach 5000

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[GJH]

"She" is a "He". It's the same petition as mentioned on Broken Link Removed.

 

[Barclaybasher]

"She" is a "He". It's the same petition as mentioned on Broken Link Removed.

Yes....... but on my Facebook page today...needs to be supported .......have you signed Graham?

and...... Why is it that MH manufacturers and others in the 'industry' don't get involved?


..

 

[GJH]

Yes....... but on my Facebook page today...needs to be supported .......have you signed Graham?

and...... Why is it that MH manufacturers and others in the 'industry' don't get involved?


..

No, I haven't signed - for the reasons given on the two threads about the petition.

Presumably the other factors which mean that manufacturers &c don't get involved are because most of them don't have suitable premises and it would not be worth them laying out the cost of obtaining caravan site licences & planning permission and setting up a site.

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[Barclaybasher]

No, I haven't signed - for the reasons given on the two threads about the petition.
Presumably the other factors which mean that manufacturers &c don't get involved are because most of them don't have suitable premises and it would not be worth them laying out the cost of obtaining caravan site licences & planning permission and setting up a site.

It's not about obtaining site licences .......... it's about having a national policy promoting aires or the like and legislation and guidance .............

.........................Is here any harm in signing?

..

 

[mjltigger]

..............Is here any harm in signing?

That's a good question

 

[GJH]

It's not about obtaining site licences .......... it's about having a national policy promoting aires or the like and legislation and guidance .............

.........................Is here any harm in signing?

..

The legislation has been in place since 1960. In the case of local authorities, they have all the powers they need if they wish to obtain planning permission for an aire. If a private company wants to open an aire, though, it can not do so without a site licence and planning permission.
Neither LA nor private company is going to lay out good money, though, unless they can identify a demand. The same applies to a national policy, no point in going to the trouble of creating one unless a demand can be identified.

There may not be any harm in signing but neither is there any point because the lack of demand is proved by the lack of signatures. I see, now, that I got mixed up over two petitions. The one in this thread's OP (which isn't even on the correct petition site) has been going for 7 months and still has only 4844 signatures. The one in the recent threads has been going for a month and has 1583 signatures (less than Brownsett's petition had after a month).

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[dotsontour]

Who is she? Silly question ! A funster she has a glass in both hands
Regards Dave dotsontour

 

[Jabberwocky]

I'm all for wild camping but why the taxpayer should be expected to provide free facilities for people who have the spare cash to blow £50k plus on a toy is utterly beyond me.

If the government won't provide adequate facilities to truck drivers doing their job and keeping the country moving I can't see them spending millions giving wealthy OAPs a free holiday.

I refer anyone reading this and disagreeing with me to the 'freeloaders' thread and also to 'campsite' in the dictionary.

I had come on here tonight to praise hay on Wye council for encouraging motorhome users to use the main town car park for overnight parking( free of charge) but having read a few of the threads on here MH users are more likely to storm the council offices demanding resignations for expecting people to pay 20p to use the provided toilets.

 

[TheBig1]

The something for nothing argument again? The cost puts most councils and businesses off of providing aire type facilities. even if the government of the day said it supported the idea, who would pay?

then when an enterprising business owner starts by joining a scheme allowing motorhomes on their pub carpark, the usual problems happen of people taking advantage without supporting the business. There is no reasonable business model to support the provision of aires in the uk

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[Barclaybasher]

I'm all for wild camping but why the taxpayer should be expected to provide free facilities for people who have the spare cash to blow £50k plus on a toy is utterly beyond me.

.

Who said that we want aires providing free of charge?............part of the argument is about providing facilities to encourage foreign tourists.............. to spend money here as we do in Europe

Yours may be a £50k toy to you, mine isn't...........

The sales and use of MH will surely keep increasing and more restrictions on our parking and 'wild camping' will happen

If people can't even be bothered to push a button to 'sign' a petition then nothing will change


.

 

[Peter & Elaine]

The UK can't even provide decent overnight parking with facility's for the many thousands of truckers
So what chance do motorhome user have

 

[bartiny]

[QUOTE="Jabberwocky, spare cash to blow £50k plus on a toy is utterly beyond me.

giving wealthy OAPs a free holiday.

MH users are more likely to storm the council offices demanding resignations for expecting people to pay 20p to use the provided toilets.[/QUOTE]

Jeeze!! where do I start, hell fire!! no stereotypes here then!!

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[GJH]

.

Who said that we want aires providing free of charge?............part of the argument is about providing facilities to encourage foreign tourists.............. to spend money here as we do in Europe

Yours may be a £50k toy to you, mine isn't...........

The sales and use of MH will surely keep increasing and more restrictions on our parking and 'wild camping' will happen

If people can't even be bothered to push a button to 'sign' a petition then nothing will change


.

The trouble is, Vic, that too many people do want something for nothing and people don't necessarily spend enough to boost local economies sufficiently to justify the outlay. The answers on the threads Broken Link Removed, Broken Link Removed and Broken Link Removed show that.
As for these ridiculous petitions, the one mentioned in the OP isn't even using the correct route to influence the government, just some American revenue generator which our government has probably never heard of never mind take notice of.
Nothing will change because few want change and even fewer are willing to get off their backsides to do anything effective to promote change.

 

[buttons]

This is worded as if the UK is void of motorhome facilities. I can travel to any popular part of this country and easily find somewhere to stay and shower. CLs CCs, CCC sites and the many shows and meets to name just a few. Add to this a plethora of good privately run sites of every size, we are extremely well catered for in this country already. You do have to pay the going rate though.

 

[eddie]

What's wrong with Britstops?

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[Barclaybasher]

There may not be any harm in signing but neither is there any point because the lack of demand is proved by the lack of signatures. I see, now, that I got mixed up over two petitions. The one in this thread's OP (which isn't even on the correct petition site) has been going for 7 months and still has only 4844 signatures.

Nothing will change because few want change and even fewer are willing to get off their backsides to do anything effective to promote change.

No need for anybody to even get off their backsides Graham.......... the keyboard is just in front of them, and still they can't be bothered........... right petition or not

4844 signatures yesterday ...4853 now............... 9 'signatures' !!

Over 400 views on this thread ...........and only 9 signatures..................

It's a wonder anyone even bothers.......


.

 

[eddie]

[QUOTE="Barclaybasher, post: 1558426, member: 20541"
It's a wonder anyone even bothers.......
[/QUOTE]
It would seem then that no is bothered?

I've signed loads of hopeless cause petitions over the years, no I can't be bothered

The Motorhome business is tiny, far to small to realisticly expect anything drastic to change in law. In France there is so much through traffic form other Country's

I use Britstops which works fine and is run by Motorhome owners very efficiently

 

[Charlie]

I'm not going to get into the debate over what is right or wrong here.
But anyone who thinks the powers that be take even the faintest interest in these frankly ridiculous petitions is kidding themselves.
They don't so save yourselves the time...

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[GJH]

No need for anybody to even get off their backsides Graham.......... the keyboard is just in front of them, and still they can't be bothered........... right petition or not

4844 signatures yesterday ...4853 now............... 9 'signatures' !!

Over 400 views on this thread ...........and only 9 signatures..................

It's a wonder anyone even bothers.......


.

The point is that it is the petitions themselves that are a waste of time, as Eddie & Charlie have just pointed out. It doesn't matter that the keyboard is there, they are a waste of time and that is all.

Anyone who really wants an aire will find a suitable place, make a proper case and pursue that case. Anyone who says they want aires but won't do anything about it doesn't really want aires.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Anyone who really wants an aire will find a suitable place, make a proper case and pursue that case. Anyone who says they want aires but won't do anything about it doesn't really want aires.

.......and the results so far are.................

All I see is more and more restrictions.............. to even parking and maybe that will put existing and potential M/Homers off............ in this country anyway

..

 

[trophychap]

Reading through this thread, I don't think there is much chance of anything ever happening in this country! when we can't even agree amongst ourselves whether Aires would be worthwhile or not!

As someone who has used the Aire at Canterbury I was amazed at how many foreign registered motorhomes were there.

We were one of about four British registered vans scattered among approximately thirty registered abroad that were there.

Seems to me there is a need at least for more Aires nearer the port towns at least.

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[Mel]

Do Motorhomers realy add to the local economy.
They arrive with a full fridge stock up at the cheapest suppermarket.
Stay on a car park if its an aire get up at the crack of dawn to avoid paying.
Some will sleep in stupid places to avoid spending.

Nothing wrong with free overnight stops but lets not get carried away that we make that much differance to the local economy

 

[Mel]

Canterbury are very smart with the free buss to town we probably do add to there local economy.

 

[GJH]

Reading through this thread, I don't think there is much chance of anything ever happening in this country! when we can't even agree amongst ourselves whether Aires would be worthwhile or not!

As someone who has used the Aire at Canterbury I was amazed at how many foreign registered motorhomes were there.

We were one of about four British registered vans scattered among approximately thirty registered abroad that were there.

Seems to me there is a need at least for more Aires nearer the port towns at least.

Canterbury are very smart with the free buss to town we probably do add to there local economy.

Canterbury has a USP (proximity to the Channel and P&R location) which nowhere else has.

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