# Poole Quay ban motorhomes parking on roads



## Baggins (Aug 22, 2008)

First thing is to thank Phil at Admin, for circumventing faulty activation email and letting many of us newbees in - great site.

I'm back to campervanning after a 10 year break - 4th van - and have been travelling the south coast.

Sad to see that in the most welcoming Poole Quay - great car-park with dedicated motorhome spaces - but on the roads surrounding the quay the residents of the new estate have managed to get local byelaw to stop any kind of campervan parking on the road (Pay'n'Display) and the car parks close overnight.

Also Bournemouth has many roads near beach marked to exclude anything other than cars.

Living in Devon I'm quite used to the 'No Overnight Sleeping' signs but was still suprised to be denied space on a public road for a relatively small Transit Duetto.

I'm not sure if these regulations also serve to exclude Blue badge holders but if this were the case it would only drive us onto double-yellows.

Sad really.


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## Hazy-thoughts (Aug 23, 2008)

I'm not legal ealgle, but I would love to hear the opininion of one about this ban. Surely as tax paying roadusers they cannot stop us from parking in a specific place, overnighting I fully understand, and almost expect now in most built up areas, but to ban a type of vehicle from parking, .....surely this is illegal


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## robjmckinney (Aug 23, 2008)

*Parking*

It seems a problem occuring all along the South coast, campervans and motorhomes no longer welcome. Virtually every car park in Portsmouth have height barriers and around the local area. Spent a few days at Swanage and certainly felt unwelcome, even where disabled parking was available it was restricted to three hours with no return, what a difference a year makes.

I would be interested on hearing how other people experienced in our Southernly areas. Main due to the 'anti traveller' councils tendancy these days but clearly there are a anti motor homes policy developing as it gets popular!


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## Airecraft (Aug 23, 2008)

My email to the Hon. Stephen Hesford, MP, Wirral West:

Dear Mr Hesford I am writing to you regarding the proliferation of restrictions on the parking of motorhomes and motorcaravans on the public roads. As a resident of xxxxxxxxx, I took issue with Wirral Borough Council over signage introduced during the Open Golf Championship in 2006, prohibiting overnight parking of motorhomes on xxxxxxx xxxxxxx. Though normally parked on my own property, I do occasionally park my motorhome on xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx, in full compliance with parking restrictions. When I questioned these signs with the Council, I was advised they had no force in law and were merely a deterent to prevent visitors 'swamping' the promenade with motorhomes. More recently, travelling around the UK, I have been confronted with similar restrictions specific to the parking of motorhomes and, usually, unassociated with any particular event. The most recent example is the prohibition of motorhomes from parking on the promenades at Rhos-on-Sea and Llandudno, introduced by Conwy County council. My vehicle registration document describes my motorhome as a private car and, naturally, I pay for a road fund license in accordance with that status. I understand that not all roads are suitable for vehicles over a certain size and I have no dispute with restrictions based on this premise.  I am, however, aggrieved that, having purchased and taxed my vehicle in accordance with the law, I am now being discriminated against in the use of public higways. I might add that this discrimination is in marked contrast to the attitude of French towns which I visit, which provide, free of charge, water, electricity and waste facilities for motorhomes.  Whilst I do not expect such an enlightened approach to visiting tourists in the UK, I would be grateful for your opinion on the legal status of local authority imposed parking restrictions as described above. Yours sincerely  etc.

His reply...if you want legal advice, see a solicitor.

Alternatively, "test" a law which seems so unfair.

Andy


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## Deleted member 775 (Aug 23, 2008)

get yourselves up north  it seems the further north you come the more we are accepted . yes ok i know there are some restrictions but not as many as down south. scotland is well, more wild camp friendly than most places but it seems us lot up north are a lot more tolerant than them southerners  .


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## Hazy-thoughts (Aug 23, 2008)

Aire_on_a_shoestring said:


> My email to the Hon. Stephen Hesford, MP, Wirral West:
> 
> Dear Mr Hesford I am writing to you regarding the proliferation of restrictions on the parking of motorhomes and motorcaravans on the public roads. As a resident of xxxxxxxxx, I took issue with Wirral Borough Council over signage introduced during the Open Golf Championship in 2006, prohibiting overnight parking of motorhomes on xxxxxxx xxxxxxx. Though normally parked on my own property, I do occasionally park my motorhome on xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx, in full compliance with parking restrictions. When I questioned these signs with the Council, I was advised they had no force in law and were merely a deterent to prevent visitors 'swamping' the promenade with motorhomes. More recently, travelling around the UK, I have been confronted with similar restrictions specific to the parking of motorhomes and, usually, unassociated with any particular event. The most recent example is the prohibition of motorhomes from parking on the promenades at Rhos-on-Sea and Llandudno, introduced by Conwy County council. My vehicle registration document describes my motorhome as a private car and, naturally, I pay for a road fund license in accordance with that status. I understand that not all roads are suitable for vehicles over a certain size and I have no dispute with restrictions based on this premise.  I am, however, aggrieved that, having purchased and taxed my vehicle in accordance with the law, I am now being discriminated against in the use of public higways. I might add that this discrimination is in marked contrast to the attitude of French towns which I visit, which provide, free of charge, water, electricity and waste facilities for motorhomes.  Whilst I do not expect such an enlightened approach to visiting tourists in the UK, I would be grateful for your opinion on the legal status of local authority imposed parking restrictions as described above. Yours sincerely  etc.
> 
> ...



Good for you fella, a man after my own heart 
I find it very difficult to see how motorhomes can be prevented from parking on a public highway that other vehicles are allowed to, overnighting is different, but being refused permission to park  in a designated part of the public highway after paying your road tax etc is just downright wrong in my humble opinion


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## Baggins (Aug 23, 2008)

I would write back to this lazy so and so and tell him to do his job and refer your query to the Minister responsible - and he wouldn't get my vote at the next election. Very likely one of the MP's that speak of the 'ordinary' people.

Meanwhile I'll drop a line to my man down here.

BW


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## highwayman (Aug 23, 2008)

Hi folks
Friends stayed in Poole last weekend, they parked alongside the harbour at Sandbanks and overnighted there. Apparently the road's dead-quiet at night.
Personally we use sandbanks car-park, £1 overnight but no camping.
If the door's knocked and i open-it then i'm merely parked!
If i don't open the door then the vehicle is legally parked overnight with a valid ticket displayed!
That-said no-one's ever knocked.


regards...nige


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## yoursinuk (Aug 24, 2008)

highwayman said:


> Hi folks
> Friends stayed in Poole last weekend, they parked alongside the harbour at Sandbanks and overnighted there. Apparently the road's dead-quiet at night.
> Personally we use sandbanks car-park, £1 overnight but no camping.
> If the door's knocked and i open-it then i'm merely parked!
> ...



yes. I have stayed there and on the quays road in the last 2 weeks. I am told the local policy by the police is live and let live.. never been moved on in poole. (signs.. what are they?lol)


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## Baggins (Aug 24, 2008)

Got to admit I've stayed several nights around Poole Quay and Sandbanks over the last couple of months.  Got locked in Baiter car park - displaying overnight parking voucher - and awoke to find parking ticket envelope on screen with polite message inside asking me to desist rather than bring on more regulation.  I think £1 overnight parking 6pm-8am is very fair.

Great place to go with lots of street entertainment.  As above posts imply pretty laid back attitude all round otherwise.

Just miffed about on-street parking being able to discriminate against MH's.

Here in Torbay where you will not see any designated motorhome parking and parking meters are being installed as I write and you have to contend with the notorious Torbay Taliban (NCP) if your unit overhangs the space provided.

Following various threads on this site I'm looking forward to Scarborough/Robin Hoods Bay and Whitby in September - especially the friendy looking pub stop-overs.

Can say I am also looking forward to trying the Aires in France as I make my way to Portugal in October after a 20 year break.

BW


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## Baconsdozen (Aug 25, 2008)

I can't see why travellers are given police escorts and allowed to park free on fields etc and law abiding citizens who just want to stop overnight can't.One of the biggest stop overs in Suffolk,Aldeburgh has now banned motorhomes from just about everywhere.Seems unfair,but then a lot that happens in this country is unfair so I suppose we shouldn't be suprised.
Near me Yarmouth have put signs up all over the place and charge to park anything anywhere (then they wonder why people avoid the place). Lowestoft at the moment don't seem to be cracking down on motorhomes,I hope those doing so respect the areas they're using and hopefully it will stay that way.


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## sagart (Aug 28, 2008)

Baggins said:


> Here in Torbay where you will not see any designated motorhome parking and parking meters are being installed as I write and you have to contend with the notorious Torbay Taliban (NCP) if your unit overhangs the space provided.
> 
> BW


Staying down in Torbay for 6 weeks on a family visit.
Latest is Shedden Hill carpark keeping its barrier down all day and the Morgan Avenue flat caps complaining if you park there.
Broadsands carpark? Luckily (in one respect) my wife's blue badge gives some on road parking.
Torbay seafront, presumably the balloon is the ego of the council, is swept by wardens one minute into the 4pm. to 6pm. no parking period.
Lived there for 20 years, and am glad I moved!


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## Baggins (Aug 28, 2008)

*Not encouraged in Torbay*

Well observed Sagart.

You noticed The Blot on the seafront then!

I have campaigned against the seafront parking rip-off in Torquay since  NCP was brought in (the contract has lost us tax-payers over £1m in the last 3 years and dished out nearly 100,000 tickets - goodness only knows how many disgruntled visitors)

Also brought to the attention of the Mayor many times the attraction of making space in Shedden Hill car park and elsewhere for Campervans/Motorhomes and their spending power - same answer every time is that the barriers are there to keep out travellers.  Notwithstanding this they are open irregularly for commercial vans when we  host foreign markets.


Isle of Skye - now that really does sound good.

Off to enjoy the bracing air of Yorkshire around Scarborough for a couple of weeks - looking forward to trying all the chippy's recommended on this site.

HeyHo

BW


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