Hi Jinks1 and :welcome1:

Hope increasing awareness also increases the signatures :thumbs:

Added the relevant link to your post for you.

Hi Jinks :welcome1:
Thanks. I signed the petition although I don't think Parliament will ever debate it, although it may make the major clubs sit up and review their strategy for motorhomers. I cannot see why the major clubs do not provide an Aire facility along side the campsite as they do in France. Perhaps when there are more motorhomers than caravaners they might? I have nothing against campsites and do use them on occasion. However, as I rarely book anything the Clubs obsession with booking is incompatible with the freedom to get up & go and stay when you want too.

The only way Local Authorities will have a change of mind is if they can see that it will create a revenue stream and the problem at the moment is that they are strapped for cash for the capital investment.

I think the major change will come by us Motorhomers using the pub stop over scheme. That way perhaps the CC the CCC and some commercial sites will see that they are loosing income and provide a similar facility. The only problem will be that the beer won't be as good!!

Spinner

Signed and posted on facebook :thumbs:

I have signed it too but also signed 4 other similar petitions over the last year.
Shame they cant all be combined!

Hi all
Thanks for your replies.
It would seem that people who know about the petition are willing to sign it, so maybe there is just not enough people knowing, it needs the message passing on any way we can, (thanks for the face book post).
If anyone is a member of other forums, could they post the contact for the petition on them, especially the CC and CCC forums, if only to make them sit up and think.

Jinks

:S Hi and a happy new year with safe travel to you all.
The problem that I believe that hinders Local Authorities opening up aires is the problem they would have with travelers abusing the system. It takes about three weeks with a court order to have travelers moved on. Whereas having lived in Germany for seventeen years they have a move on 'now' policy, France also is not tolerant. So the problem will always be with us. No doubt I am not being PC, so until space is mad available for travelers, we motor homers will not get the benefit of aires free or otherwise.

I understand but slightly disagree.
Many travellers are lovely people and dont want to cause hassle.
But I agree the laws need to be quicker and easily inforced in almost every area!

The main issue for me is the attitude and how short sighted many councils are.
Where 'aires' are provided here, for example the one on hayling island it is £15 a night and the £10 for the day in the summer!
I dont object to paying but not anything like that!

Where councils have looked into providing a propper european style aire they have decided its too expensive.
Porthcawl in wales for example costed an aire with a euro relais 'post' would cost 35k a year to run.
Which i a daft figure in my opinion.
But what they dont realise is it in an investment in the area that will benefit the place for years to come.
They are too insular and only care about their own interests and dont really care about the area as a whole. Until this attitude changes we will not get any change without huge costs to use.

Mind you i am 'keeping' my eyes open for suitable plots of land so i can build my own aire, but that may never happen!

Hi all
yes I can see the issue with travelers being a potential problem and I'm sure there must be ways round it.
regarding costs and initial outlay, most councils already have possible aires sites, they call them town center carparks, all they have to do is remove barriers and allow overnight stopovers. They could install power bollards and make a small charge for use at a later stage when they find out how benifitial they are to the local economy.
You only have to look how popular the aires in Honfleur is (180 +motorhomes @ €11), especially on a friday night when its market day on Saterday, all the restaurants stay open all year round and it's busy, lovely place, went there twice last year and planning again ths year.
regards
Jinks

I agree with the opening up of car parks.
However if they dont provide the odd service point
I dont see it having much sucess.
Many people are lazy and messy in all walks of life and if the facilities are not provided a minority will always abuse things, I fear!
I know we all wouldnt abuse it and would be grateful of being allowed to stay.

Saying that places like Torridge council in North Devon allow overnighting in 6 council car parks between march and october. It was £5 a night last time i went, which is fine.
All the local cafes and shops have noticed an increase in weekend trade according to torridge council.
But when i asked about travellers they said they have had no problem at all. I do think sometimes people can make things worse on both sides.
Cornwall council are famous for being anti motorhome but they are consulting about copying the torridge model.
But as the head of the council owns a campsite near looe, im not putting money on it!

So i think it is slowly changing in some places but slow is the operative word!

Saying that though, i have been motorhoming for 35 years. Been on only 3 sites in the last 10 years!
So you can make it work here if you try.

I have been to honfleur many times too and will stop there again at easter on my way back to the ferry!