Rally Chat Why the Ban ? Who's interest does this serve.

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WildBunch

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"Ballard School, New Milton.
This is a thank you and a reminder to the many members who have supported New Forest DA at the above site over more than 25 years. Due to new regulations around site proximity to Sites of Special Scientific Interest the New Firest District Council will no longer allow camping on the sports field at Ballard School. Please see Out and About for our THS in June and August which also gives my contact details."

The school site is surrounded by public foot paths, so what is the problem with a few campers.
 
A sports field full of supporters.
The mind boggles!
The new forest law lol
 
martindevon said:
Obviously makes sense to include Heathrow in the LEZ because the planes don’t polute that much do they?????
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Yes, that was the point being made.

There are some curious approaches to saving the planet - I used to recycle all my supermarket plastic shopping bags as garden weed bags, rubbish bags and domestic bin liners so now I buy rolls of bin liners. :rolleyes:
Plus ça change.............
 
It could be banned for any reason from a local councilor or relative/friend not liking the look of motorhomes and caravans to someone thinking it would be a vote winner to a local caravan site not liking competition or whatever.
 
From Facebook today it would appear that the THS at Breaware house & Wareham have been banned along with Ballard school site.
If this continues into other areas,we will not have many sites to use in the future. It seems Natural England has a hand in these decisions.
Perhaps we should be lobbying the CCC & CCM to act in our interest with this organisation.
 
martindevon said:
Obviously makes sense to include Heathrow in the LEZ because the planes don’t polute that much do they?????
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I think only euro 6 planes are allowed now 😏😎

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The people who come up with these things should be banned from eating for three weeks every time they put their plans in place, that will sort them out one way or another.
 
And so, the busybodies' war against motorhomers ramps up.
 
Debs said:
Not just down south, I read all THS's in Norfolk have also been cancelled.
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I think I read somewhere that Avian Flu has more to do with the ones cancelled in Norfolk?
The bird population has been hit badly.

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L' Hobo said:
I think I read somewhere that Avian Flu has more to do with the ones cancelled in Norfolk?
The bird population has been hit badly.
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That would in fact make sense. Worst flu year for a very long time, spread by migratory birds
 
Debs said:
Not just down south, I read all THS's in Norfolk have also been cancelled.
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Some but not all. It would appear if you pay an extra "Fee" to the council the concern over the SSSI goes away which is what some of the THS sites in Norfolk have done.

Wareham Rugby club was another one that got caught up in this nonsense last year.
 
I gathered the Norfolk THS's were cancelled due to the SSSI issue from posts on the DA's FB group

Screenshot_20230505-163456.png
 
Welcome to my day to day world as the Sites officer of New Forest DA

The Bans are not actually bans when you eventually get answers from the council who opposed the rally or THS They allow you to pay a mitigation fee to allow the ths to go ahead, but at a ridiculous price that would more than double the cost per unit night. Ballard school for instance, we were told that we had to pay a fee per unit per night based on the maximum number of units we could take. On top of that, all grey and black waste needs to be tankered off site and treated with supporting paperwork despite it all going down a manhole connected to the mains drains. The cost of that was into the thousands of pounds for a 28 night THS including the mitigation fees. The school are devastated.

Wareham rugby club similar issues as any grey could possibly have contaminated land near a tributary stream that is within 5 miles of entering Poole harbour. Norden farm rally field is the same.

Breamore house applied for their own caravan licence to overcome the issue and were granted 28 days per year. However the owners want various clubs and groups to share the same days on the field to maximise their income. This cant work with our rules and exemption certificate.

Norfolk has had THSs stopped due to water potentially harming the ecosystem of tje broads etc.

This is not going away and most councils are playi ng catch up and do not as of writing have procedures or pricing in place to allow the mittigation fees. So green field rallying is getting harder to achieve every day. Nobody is going to pay the same to overnight on a field as a camp site with facilities

I recently heard back from the people now managing the old camping in the forest sites. They want £28 per unit night for rallies on a no facilities site a Holmsley first weekend of the season. I canvased our membets and every one that replied said no way they would pay that. We get a facilities site with hard standing and hook up for under £20, so I agree. It is greedy and the councils are doing all they are to generate income from campers.
 
Before I started to organise rallies for Fun, I spoke to a very senior (Regional Council) and experienced member of the CMHC.
I asked him about writing to the Local Authority prior to organising a rally of more than 120hrs.

He advised me in no uncertain terms that one should not ask the LA for permission to hold am event but rather write to them advising them of the event.
He stated that there was nothing in the legislation to give the LA power to deny it taking place.

Can you tell me if the legislation has changed and, if so, by what Authority the LA are currently insisting that you comply with.

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Emmit said:
Before I started to organise rallies for Fun, I spoke to a very senior (Regional Council) and experienced member of the CMHC.
I asked him about writing to the Local Authority prior to organising a rally of more than 120hrs.

He advised me in no uncertain terms that one should not ask the LA for permission to hold am event but rather write to them advising them of the event.
He stated that there was nothing in the legislation to give the LA power to deny it taking place.

Can you tell me if the legislation has changed and, if so, by what Authority the LA are currently insisting that you comply with.
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Sorry the specific name escapes me but it is a fairly recent addition to the environment legislation. Something to do with protected habitats. Specifically it is based on assumed nitrate polution from grey water
 
I will search my emails on my laptop when I get home for details. We have written responses from the local councils stating the legislation they are using
 
Aha I have some of it on my phone. Copy and pasted from a reply from natural england about one of the sites. Some detail removed as it is subject to data protection

earlier. Because the temporary campsite lies in close proximity to a number of specially protected biodiversity sites it is a requirement that the likely adverse effects are mitigated. Below is a link to the guidance from Dorset Council on how to proceed. The best approach would be to make direct contact with their planning officers to discuss how best to proceed to determine the contribution necessary.

Mitigation contributions will need to be proportionate to the number of pitches as well as the duration of the occupation, in this case 28 days. The contribution will need to secure measures relevant to
  • Poole Harbour SPA/Ramsar nutrient neutrality
  • Poole Harbour SPA/Ramsar recreation pressures
  • Dorset Heathlands recreation pressures

Guidance from Dorset Council on temporary facilities is to be found here:
https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/pop-up-camping-sites?p_l_back_url=%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dpopup%2Bcampsites

I can confirm that the proposed camping facility will have relevant effects on the above sites and the Council should not confirm that these can be implemented until suitable mitigation has been secured in accordance with The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (Regs 75-77).

This is one of many documents over the last year. Most are very similar and negative. The C&MHC are aware of the bans but are sticking fingers in their ears and carrying on regardless until enforcement action by the council. This can then be challenged usi g the exemption status of the club. The C&CC are doing the opposite and complying with the legislation whilst challenging. Interesting the differing approach causes a disparity in the way different clubs are treated.
 
sonar said:
They could alway rent or lease one problem solved.🤫
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Or just register it in someone else’s name at a different address.

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