# more bad news



## janeandbob (May 15, 2008)

In our paper today :  http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/...gory=News&itemid=IPED14 May 2008 13:20:09:600 

Copy Paste and Cry!

Another good reason for us to go to France we have a lot to learn in this country. Many thanks Bob.


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## lakenham rod (May 15, 2008)

*Parking at Aldburgh*

I have a message elsewhere asking about the position of parking and you have given me the answer, I will go and see on Sat the 17th if the notices are up yet, this will probably be the last time I will go to Aldeburgh to spend my money and a lot more people besides me will probably feel the same, if I can't park by the sea I don't want to go, the place reeks of money and snobbery so that lets me out anyway,


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## walkers (May 15, 2008)

well there you go, they may ban motorhomes but then they may lose their business in local shops and amenities too. instead of banning on the grounds that 'some people empty chemical toilets into the sea' (the local water company for a lot of years did a lot more than that in some parts of the coastline) why didn't they provide somewhere this could have been done safely and sensibly. as for the 'eyesore' there are far worse eyesores on the coastline than a motorhome


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## Deleted member 775 (May 15, 2008)

janeandbob said:


> In our paper today :  http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/...gory=News&itemid=IPED14 May 2008 13:20:09:600
> 
> Copy Paste and Cry!
> 
> Another good reason for us to go to France we have a lot to learn in this country. Many thanks Bob.



just had a look at the site  this is on, and it looks like a lot of old moaners are on it. ps i dident know you could spoil the sea veiw down that area if you want a good sea veiw look at the east coast up north. and we are a lot more welcoming up here .


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## Deleted member 775 (May 15, 2008)

i joined the site and posted my reply to them


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## t&s (May 15, 2008)

*shame on them*

it seems to be the atitude of lots of councils in this country we just are not wanted 
this is why i prefer to do most of my travels on the continent we are welcome to stay in most towns and villages and the services are provided for all to use and mostly free


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## wildman (May 15, 2008)

Not sure if the emptying of chemical toilets is a fact or fiction to add sway to the banning. How can you spoil a view in the dark? This whole overnight camping parking business it totally stupid. I pay a fortune to keep my vehicles on the road and I'll be damned if some jobsworth is going to stop me.


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## AndyC (May 15, 2008)

There has undoubtedly been a problem there, in a popular location like  that it is not really surprising that, left unregulated, problems will  arise. 

The sad thing is that the District Council, instead of recognising that  there is a demand for a motorhome facility, which properly managed would  certainly benefit local traders, decide to put a blanket ban in place. 

Surprising given that, in the same county, Bury St Edmunds are  encouraging motorhomes by providing dedicated parking spaces and  allowing overnight stays.

AndyC


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## tresrikay (May 15, 2008)

Simple answer to this. Find the Aldeburgh council website or E- mail and we all post our disgust at their action and that we are no longer going to take our long planned holiday in their area and we shall be taking our saved holiday spending power to a more motohome friendly area, we shall also be E-mailing the local chamber of commerce, that due to the Councils actions we shall not be spending any of our money in your members busineses. AS for emptying toilets into the sea........... Total myth, can you imagine wading into the sea emptying the elsan and trying to rinse as the just emptied waste crashes over you with the next wave,............. MIDDLE fingers up to the curtain twitchers of Aldeburgh........... never liked the place anyway.


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## t&s (May 15, 2008)

*posted to the EADT today by me*

aldeburgh and Slaughden parking restrictions
camper vans parking on the sea wall, up to 60 on one night, and allegations that the vans damage the wall and owners empty chemical toilets in the sea.
In response to the above copy of your news item .
In over forty years of being involved in campervan/motorhome use I have never heard or witnessed any one emptying there chemical toilet in the sea or any where else other than a proper disposal point .
An average motorhome/campervan owner will spend lets say on average £30 per day i.e. on fuel or food ect in your local area. 
If your estimated 60 campervans per night stay at Aldeburgh and Slaughden is correct this equates to a loss of local revenue of some £657,000 per year.
Can the town really afford to loose this amount of revenue ?
Surely the installation of a elsan disposal point would be the correct approach the cost of emptying  I am sure could be recovered by  levying  by a small charge for its use as it is done by many councils on the continent.
As regards to adverts on the internet surely you should be glad that so many wish to visit Aldeburgh and Slaughden and support the local economy .
Erosion of the sea wall is mainly caused buy the sea not vehicles if your comment  was meant to refer to the  road surface may be  it has not been maintained correctly
 Camper vans do not drive up and down the road all day they prefer to stop and enjoy the views and local facilities if permitted
Yours t mason 

it probably wont be taken any notice of but i hope all our feelings are similar


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## sundown (May 15, 2008)

mandrake said:


> i joined the site and posted my reply to them


I did the same, 
told them that bad publicity for aldeburgh
was now circulating the INTERNET
over that decision
which could lead to a loss of revenue 
from the tourist trade

PS where is aldeburgh?


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## lenny (May 15, 2008)

sundown said:


> I did the same,
> told them that bad publicity for aldeburgh
> was now circulating the INTERNET
> over that decision
> ...



Me too,Nick, I accused the local authority of being influenced by the local "snobs"


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## t&s (May 15, 2008)

sundown said:


> I did the same,
> told them that bad publicity for aldeburgh
> was now circulating the INTERNET
> over that decision
> ...



for me its somewhere up north then turn right


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## AndyC (May 15, 2008)

t&s said:


> it probably wont be taken any notice of but i hope all our feelings are similar



You may be surprised - I hear that the reporter who wrote the piece is considering writing another, putting the other side of the story...

AndyC


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## t&s (May 15, 2008)

I Would Be Suprised If Someone Would Speak Up For Us


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## SNODGRASS (May 15, 2008)

Its all gone too far in this country a bunches of local councilors everywhere seem to be able to dictate where we can go and what we can do on what amounts to our land what happened to the Magna Carta ! Just returned from 2 weeks in Belguim using the lists published by Leo. Great stops lovely people cheap diesel beautiful beer....S*D UK I know where I'm going from now on.


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## AndyC (May 15, 2008)

t&s said:


> I Would Be Suprised If Someone Would Speak Up For Us


We can speak up for ourselves.... Sometimes we even get noticed.

AndyC


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## loubylou (May 15, 2008)

*what can be done?*

I felt so guttered about this I nearly emailed Jeremy Vine about this especially that France actually encourage freedom for campers.  He does tend to be interested in local councils that have their idiocincrisy.


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## Nosha (May 19, 2008)

Having visited this spot MANY times and having counted 42 motorhomes one Saturday night last summer a local in the pub said the most he had seen was 49... so when did they ever have 60????

On supporting the local lifeboat station, the station manager said we were the only life during the winter months as over 40% of the town is now a 'second home'!

We'll be going this bank holiday weekend, so will report back on what we find, the locals say the shingle roadway is owned by the sailing club... until it requires maintenance!!!


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## Nosha (May 19, 2008)

*Copy of letter sent to Clerk of Alde' Town Council*

Dear Ms Lee,

Having visited your beautiful town many times, and having stayed overnight on the sea wall and for a weeks holiday at Church Farm I have been told that the local council is about to ban the parking of motorhomes on the sea wall.

Can you tell me if this is true please as we about to visit this bank holiday weekend? As we travel over 130 miles and spend 3 hours getting to your lovely town from our home in Northampton we don't want a wasted journey.

If this becomes the case I know the local economy will suffer, as we ALWAYS support the areas we visit. We always buy all news papers and magazines at the local news agents, have a meal at the Mill Inn or The Cross Keys or Prezzo's, Fish & chips, drinks at the White Hart and being boaters have 'adopted' the Aldeburgh Lifeboat station and are on first name terms due to our financial support with Lee & Steve etc This is without what my wife spend in the Fat Face shop!!

If half the motorhomes that visit spend half as much as us then you can see what I mean about 'suffer'. The lads at the station have already said that due to 40% of the property being a 'second home' we are the most life they see in the winter months.

I see from the article that motorhomes are being blamed for rubbish, wall erosion and the emptying of chemical toilets in the sea - I hope if true this is an isolated case, I have always advised people to use the boat yard or public toilets by the mill if they have the need. We have seen 'locals' leaving fish & chip wrappers to blow across the fields, fishermen leaving broken stools and chairs on the beach after a nights fishing... and if I had a pound for every yard of fishing line I've picked up walking on the beach, I could buy my OWN sea wall to park on, and without "All those motorhomes on the wall" the local kids could fly up and down even faster! I don't think a motorhome driving at 5MPH will cause as much erosion as a car at 20-30 MPH!!

I DO hope the article is incorrect and await your clarification on this matter.

Your sincerely,


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## walkers (May 19, 2008)

i spoke with a fellow motorhomer sunday he knows people whom use the shingle bank and some locals. his opinion is to the feaces deposited on the beach is this ' the motorhomers he knows clear up after their dogs, some of the locals he knows of don't and this is where in his opinion the mistaken idea that motorhomers are dumping the contents of their cassettes comes from' he also is of the opinion that most of the 'locals' that are complaining are people who own second homes there and in that case not genuinely local residents. in my opinion the money this local community stands to lose may mean that some of the amenities even the genuine locals rely upon may suffer to the point of aldeburgh becoming a bit of a ghost town, but if that is what aldeburgh wants then let them have it (  i don't think it is)


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## Deleted member 2636 (May 19, 2008)

wildman said:


> Not sure if the emptying of chemical toilets is a fact or fiction to add sway to the banning. How can you spoil a view in the dark? QUOTE]
> 
> No doubt it mixes well with the diesel and 2 stroke muck that I've seen from the Yotties at the back of the sea wall.
> But I think that we may be missing the point here. If we find a place and then publicise it on this forum is there not a danger that history will repeat itself again?
> ...


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## lenny (May 19, 2008)

baloothebear said:


> wildman said:
> 
> 
> > Not sure if the emptying of chemical toilets is a fact or fiction to add sway to the banning. How can you spoil a view in the dark? QUOTE]
> ...


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## Deleted member 2636 (May 20, 2008)

I am not being paranoid about this but as i have already stated I would not "post" some of my camping places. 
If, say, a regular contributer were to PM me then I might look through my old lists to see what I could find for them.
What is a shame is that this statement defeats the whole point of this website.


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## GARY ENGLISH (May 20, 2008)

*News*

Inresting veiws,it is a shame we could be losing another spot.Lets face it, we seem to be not welcome in this country in most areas.Have wrote to my council several times, but no reply and i no others have tried to.Very rare you get anything for nothing in this country.It seems what ever you do ,some one some were will moan about it,they need to get a life and stop moaning ,about those that have and are enjoying them selves.Then they wonder why most people go abroad and spend there money.WILL THEY EVER LEARN.


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## Nosha (May 20, 2008)

*Aldeburgh*

Aldeburgh Town Council have now replied saying it's nothing to with them, but is a decision being made by Suffolk Coastal District Council - I've emailed them!!

We only found this spot due to the unselfish act of others advertising it on here!! However I do understand where others are coming from in saying they wish to keep good spots to themselves. But out of the 30 -40 vans at Aldeburgh I wonder how many ever found it like I did via here???

Could this be the end of this website? Or at least the end of it growing any more??? I hope not!!


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## Deleted member 2636 (May 21, 2008)

Nosha said:


> Aldeburgh Town Council have now replied saying it's nothing to with them, but is *a decision being made by Suffolk Coastal District Council - I've emailed them!!*
> 
> We only found this spot ----. But out of the 30 -40 vans at Aldeburgh I wonder how many ever found it like I did via here???
> 
> Could this be the end of this website? Or at least the end of it growing any more??? I hope not!!



*my bold* - And how many of us have bothered to also email them? Thanks Nosha - if you post their email perhaps some more of our lot will do the same?

_We only found this spot etc_ - It would interesting to know how many "hits" this site gets per day. I suspect that an awful lot of people use it as a resource and never contribute anything. 

btw - I found Aldeburgh using MemoryMap


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## Nosha (May 26, 2008)

Well Baloo' & others if you 'Google' Suffolk Coastal District Council you'll find every means of badgering them.

Just got back from another weekend there along with 30 others, still no signs or barriers YET! I & another member leafleted the other 30 vans that had someone inside, most knew of the impending situation, in fact the local fish & chip shop were supporting the view that motorhomes = income! Most motorhomers now seem to drop into the conversation when buying anything in Aldebergh that "We're staying in a motorhome up on the sea wall"

So I hope the local council will take notice, we can but hope. The more we save by 'wilding' the more we can spend in pubs and shops!!

The other thing that DOES get noticed by the locals is generators running all day (A caravaner) and keeping it neat and tidy - today a converted ambulance pulled up (we all have to start somewhere) but then stood a shopping trolley full of kit, a box and washing up bowls outside his van making it look like a pikie encampment - shame when it's in an 'Area of outstanding natural beauty' which DOES annoy the local dog walkers and snotty yachties!


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## klop (May 28, 2008)

Nosha said:


> The other thing that DOES get noticed by the locals is generators running all day (A caravaner) and keeping it neat and tidy - today a converted ambulance pulled up (we all have to start somewhere) but then stood a shopping trolley full of kit, a box and washing up bowls outside his van making it look like a pikie encampment - shame when it's in an 'Area of outstanding natural beauty' which DOES annoy the local dog walkers and snotty yachties!



We spent last night there (fantastic storm!) and matey with the trolley was still there.. at the beginning of the slope up to the sea wall itself.  Each to their own, but there's been a few there recently that have made us think it would come to an end soon.. and is such a shame.

Sad thing is i'm more than certain it will attract more plastic covered little corsa type boy racers, along with the 4x4s that thunder up and down there as a place to go at night if there's nobody there.

Caravans were becomming more regular and it was only a matter of time before someone left one unhitched and drove off.  Generators clearly don't help either.

Well, suppose there will be more room for those throwing their chip wrappers and kitchen towels outta their cars during the day... but a gaping great hole for us to find somewhere so awsome and so local.  My 6 year old was so upset when we found out last night.. still we've managed to enjoy it for as long as it lasted 

Added to this, anyone else notice the pay n display carpark just before the shingle road, with the toilets, has now had motorhomes covered in the permissible vehicles and now there is a sticker with motorhomes (or motorcaravans) in the 'bog off you cant park here!' section!!
so now we can't even park there?? I shall try parking in the car park one day.. i'm only ickle.. and see what happens!!

My van's just an old'ish bay camper.  Probably not the prettiest sight for the locals, and the dog walkers but as most "wilders" that visit we always spend (too much!) whilst there.. to the point that we nearly know the fat face staff by name!!  We never leave any mess.. and in fact have picked up others rubbish so those about us haven't assumed it to be ours!! Thinking about it most of our rubbish comes home to be recycled rather than finding its way to the Aldeburgh bin!

Anyways, there was no sign of any signs when we left.. lets hope they get blown down if they ever manage to put them up!
What will the fishermen do?  I'm very veggie.. but think i might buy a rod.. can i catch much with sweetcorn in the north sea?? ;-)


Happy days :-(


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## Trevor (May 28, 2008)

Its realy quite simple take a fishing rod a your tackle of course, go fishing at night and sleep through the day.


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## Nosha (May 28, 2008)

Klop, I do hope you weren't one of the bays' that were attended to by the AA on Sunday? First a yellow was started after a two to the boat yard section, then 10mins later a blue one was towed away!!

To anyone thinking of buying such a vehicle, I will add there was an even better yellow one, a green one and a cream & maroon one that I can remember; so there were plenty that did go home under their own steam!


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## klop (May 29, 2008)

Oh no, poor things!  none of the above were us, we only stayed the one night.. Tuesday night (just in time for the storm!)

We have an old VW bay, were the others old VWs?  My son would have been most excited to have seen some others as there's not normally anything pre 90s there.
Lovely Red & White merc sometimes 

We made it back, on our own steam.. but do carry emergency rations in readyness for the occasional AA meetin ;-)


Perhaps if they limited staying to just one night?  The Fort car park has a limit stay of 18 hours with no return within 4 hours.  I appreciate it's not perfect.. but i'd rather the opportunity to stay one night (or maybe two!) with the knowledge that we have to move on the following day.  18 hours seems a tad short.. perhaps 24 hours could work though?


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## Nosha (Jun 23, 2008)

This story has now been featured on Anglia TV. See:- www.itv.com/anglia  then search for Aldeburgh, it's the first story that comes up. It seems it's due to us damaging the sea wall - a bloody great concrete edging block along the side that we park on, and causing potholes in the gravel by us turning round, obviously the dozen or so kids that fly up and down every night NEVER wheel spin and DON'T turn round!!

Anyway the report says the ban will start at the end of June!

So where shall we go and spend our money now... Southwold perhaps? Certainly NOT Aldeburgh!


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## codfinger (Jun 30, 2008)

*End of june at Aldeburgh*

Well its the end of june today has the barbed wire and watch towers gone up yet gone up? would have loved to have gone up this coming weekend this is a sad situation going on all over the country with the second home brigade taking over nice villages, Dorset where we come from has suffered badly and house prices have gone thro the roof because of Londoners buying up everything in sight!


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## Nosha (Jul 17, 2008)

We were there the first week of July and no barbed wire yet!

Mind you the word must be out as we were one of only 5 vans on the wall, normally I would expect to see 10 - 20 at this time of year; so as there's still some uncertainty as to who owns the gravel road and the reduced numbers maybe... just maybe this will go away for a while (I hope!).


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## Nosha (Sep 9, 2008)

Yes the signs are now up (Sept 7th 08) as well as signs banning motorhomes (only) from the sea wall there are also signs banning ANY overnight parking along the side of the sea bank op' the old boat yard!

There was only one VW camper chancing it on the wall, I for one will now be voting with my feet... or should that be wheels? If they don't want us, I don't want to spend my money there!!


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## JOHN WEST (Sep 9, 2008)

*alde*

nosha how about going of in a boat all night,just shut the curtains lock the doors and be quite,


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## Nosha (Sep 13, 2008)

Very true John, others have suggested the same around Poole where you can park all night for 60p but 'No overnight camping'... I still don't know the difference between an empty van at 60p and a van with someone sleeping in it????

No doubt you will be okay at Alde' if you've not fitted windows to your van, as there are NO 'no van' signs just 'No motorhomes' so you can be a night fisherman!

Good luck, like I said you CAN park & sleep down by the sailing club carpark, but move after 17hrs!!


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## amemberofthepublic (Oct 6, 2008)

where's the actual article in the newspaper that these comments are about?
thanks


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## Deleted member 2636 (Oct 6, 2008)

amemberofthepublic said:


> where's the actual article in the newspaper that these comments are about?
> thanks



The first post


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## voxol51 (Oct 8, 2008)

I had a look at the google earth satellite picture of the Aldeburgh area, following the sea wall north and south.
Just 3 motorhomes amongst a sea of cars.
Never having been there, are the numbers really as high as 60 vans everynight?

Voxy.


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## Deleted member 2636 (Oct 8, 2008)

> are the numbers really as high as 60 vans everynight?



I wouldn't like to say: When I have used the place the most was 7 vehicles including a Double Decked ex London bus. bet that was popular  (c/w dogs on baler twine, feral kids etc)

A friend of mine who has a holiday home in Southwold said that it has got much more crowded over the last few years.

Maybe due to getting publicity on Wild Camping... Think about it


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## DRS (Oct 8, 2008)

I've been there on several occasions and have seen in excess of 25 vans.


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## messenger 2.5td (Oct 8, 2008)

*More bad news*



voxol51 said:


> I had a look at the google earth satellite picture of the Aldeburgh area, following the sea wall north and south.
> Just 3 motorhomes amongst a sea of cars.
> Never having been there, are the numbers really as high as 60 vans everynight?
> 
> Voxy.



Hi voxy i wouldn't pay to much attention to that as the pictures you view now may be several years old.I looked at my own street on google earth and the car i owned 5 years ago was outside my house.Andy


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## ianmorgan (Jan 17, 2009)

like your style TRESRIKAY,feelings meuttual chears


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## Nosha (Jan 28, 2009)

The most I've counted (before the ban) was 42, and when ever we went we were NEVER alone, but we've not been since the ban as I'm not prepared to spend my money where I'm not wanted!!!

Thanks Aldeburgh I've saved a fortune!! Especially as Southwold doesn't have a Fat Face shop or a Lifeboat shop!


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## Hirohito (Feb 14, 2009)

*Parking at Aldburgh*

I reached the council site & filed a formal complaint. See what they reply.


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