Highlands News - New £40 voluntary campervan pass launched...

[mistericeman]

Being 'singled out' for being asked to pay for the services that you, I and other M/Homers use? Don't see how that argument has any logic

Our last trip to Spain cost us precisely zero in Aire Fees [other than £10 in Staffordshire for an overnight on the outward leg] for some 58 nights, including a couple of Aires that offered free EHU. We were delighted to shop locally and to visit local bakers, cafes and bars for the convenience of not having to cycle miles with food shopping etc, and to acknowledge the provision of the Aire by the local Community

Probably best that we agree to differ

Steve

So you went somewhere where you pay no local taxes and enjoyed FREE facilities provided in that local area...
And spent money patronising local shops/eateries etc

Yet people doing the same in this country should pay £40 or whatever for provision of similar facilities

Or am I confused ?

 

[mariesnowgoose]

I don't think M/Homers are singled out for 'special attantion'; we use facilities that are funded by local authorities and local taxpayers, so should expect to pay for the consumption and contribute to the local economy, in the same way as people using local B&Bs and hotels do

You seem to confuse the national and the local effects of taxation. Since about 1973, UK taxation has just gone into one revenue 'pot' that meets every financial demand that public services create, supplemented by Central Government borrowing where necessary. That generality of funding means that there is not the proverbial 'snowball in hell' chance of 10% on infrastructure projects spend; and leading economists and Directors of Thinktanks, including Paul Johnson of IFS, arguably the senior expert on public finances, has said that public services will have to be cut and/or taxes raised to meet the manifesto commitments of the main political parties. And cutting Domiciliary Care Services whilst funding Motorhome Aires has not featured to date ...

Steve

I think the phrase "The new £40 Highland Campervan and Motorhome Scheme" kinda suggests otherwise, Steve!

 

[campervanannie]

We have LOCHS in Scotland hen!

I could blame predictive text but I won’t.

 

[korky]

Whenever I travel to a destination(unless it is a really short trip), I buy all my food in the area I am visiting.I try to use independent shops and bakeries where possible and use the odd local cafe. I don't tend to eat out in the evenings as I consider it poor value for money in the UK, but if there's some decent real ale I'm up for that. I will obviously need fuel at some point if north of the border. All this contributes to the local economy, same as any other visitor.
They can spin as far as I am concerned.

 

[Scotia]

I could blame predictive text but I won’t.

I love honesty. the problem is it sometimes gets you into trouble.

 

[Rolyan57]

I’m still not sure what, if any, benefits this so called “pass” gets you.

You can park in the car parks listed for a fee. That doesn’t change. It doesn’t give priority, or advanced booking, or reduced fees.

I read it as a voluntary contribution to the economy, but with no specific benefits. If that’s the case I believe many of those signing up will be disappointed when they find out they still have to pay and there are no spaces.

 

[Fisherman]

I love honesty. the problem is it sometimes gets you into trouble.

I hope you have a suitable funeral plan in place.

 

[Scotia]

I hope you have a suitable funeral plan in place.

 

[marchie]

I think the phrase "The new £40 Highland Campervan and Motorhome Scheme" kinda suggests otherwise, Steve!

Sorry, Marie, I cannot see that asking M/Homers to pay towards services provided for their use [car drivers could be prosecuted for peeing down the lesan in full public view, or, worse still, sitting on it to park their breakfast post-processing!; and car drivers/pedestrians needing to use the facilities will probably have to pay 30p-50p to use the loos] from local authority budgets is 'singling out'. I am happy to support the local economy by shopping/eating out etc when the Aire is free, or to pay for the Aire and not contribute/contribute less to the local economy

I can but spend my money once, and it is the local authority that influences my decision

Meanwhile, I've got a house in France to empty, dumping 14 years furniture and tools at the Recycling Centre for which I pay a Refuse Charge of €160 per annum and Property Tax of €256pa, plus Personal Occupation Tax of €436pa. The Refuse Charge only gives 15 visits each year to the Recycling Centre, and further visits are charged according to type of waste disposal and the weight/volume at €10-€30 per visit [and running to/fro with the limited hauling capacity of a Motorhome for house emptying racks up the visit count rapidly!

Steve

 

[barryd]

I had a browse through the NC500 the land weeps FB group just now. As I suspected, In the main they hate this scheme. The long and the short of it is they would just rather tourists and especially evil Motorhomers just went away.

 

[Fisherman]

I had a browse through the NC500 the land weeps FB group just now. As I suspected, In the main they hate this scheme. The long and the short of it is they would just rather tourists and especially evil Motorhomers just went away.

I hate it to, never thought I would agree with those idiots.

 

[wildebus]

I think the phrase "The new £40 Highland Campervan and Motorhome Scheme" kinda suggests otherwise, Steve!

I wonder if Campervans and Motorhomes with a Scottish Registration should get a discount having already paid into the Country economy?

 

[barryd]

I hate it to, never thought I would agree with those idiots.

From what I can gather its mainly I think leisure centre car parks where you can currently stay for £10 a night that are on offer for £40 a week. I dont think its anything more than that.

 

[Fisherman]

I wonder if Campervans and Motorhomes with a Scottish Registration should get a discount having already paid into the Country economy?

Oh you are awful

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Sorry, Marie, I cannot see that asking M/Homers to pay towards services provided for their use [car drivers could be prosecuted for peeing down the lesan in full public view, or, worse still, sitting on it to park their breakfast post-processing!; and car drivers/pedestrians needing to use the facilities will probably have to pay 30p-50p to use the loos] from local authority budgets is 'singling out'. I am happy to support the local economy by shopping/eating out etc when the Aire is free, or to pay for the Aire and not contribute/contribute less to the local economy

I can but spend my money once, and it is the local authority that influences my decision

Meanwhile, I've got a house in France to empty, dumping 14 years furniture and tools at the Recycling Centre for which I pay a Refuse Charge of €160 per annum and Property Tax of €256pa, plus Personal Occupation Tax of €436pa. The Refuse Charge only gives 15 visits each year to the Recycling Centre, and further visits are charged according to type of waste disposal and the weight/volume at €10-€30 per visit [and running to/fro with the limited hauling capacity of a Motorhome for house emptying racks up the visit count rapidly!

Steve

I don't think M/Homers are singled out for 'special attantion'; we use facilities that are funded by local authorities and local taxpayers, so should expect to pay for the consumption and contribute to the local economy, in the same way as people using local B&Bs and hotels do

You seem to confuse the national and the local effects of taxation. Since about 1973, UK taxation has just gone into one revenue 'pot' that meets every financial demand that public services create, supplemented by Central Government borrowing where necessary. That generality of funding means that there is not the proverbial 'snowball in hell' chance of 10% on infrastructure projects spend; and leading economists and Directors of Thinktanks, including Paul Johnson of IFS, arguably the senior expert on public finances, has said that public services will have to be cut and/or taxes raised to meet the manifesto commitments of the main political parties. And cutting Domiciliary Care Services whilst funding Motorhome Aires has not featured to date ...

Steve

Really Steve, what about others who use these facilities, folks who drive their with tents, facilities such as toilets and car parks used by car owners, cycle paths for cyclists, hill walkers, and on an on. We alone are being asked to pay for facilities, whilst no one else is. I reckon if we are the only ones using local facilities who are being asked to pay £40 a week, whilst everyone else pays nothing, I reckon that is being singled out. Sorry Steve the proposals don’t mention anyone else apart from us, so by definition we are being singled out. Yes Steve let’s agree to differ, but respect from me for your points.

So you went somewhere where you pay no local taxes and enjoyed FREE facilities provided in that local area...
And spent money patronising local shops/eateries etc

Yet people doing the same in this country should pay £40 or whatever for provision of similar facilities

Or am I confused ?

There isn't a cat in hell's chance of local UK councils making any meaningful improvements for motorhome and campers in any significant way right now.

They have bigger things to worry about and most of them are (if not already) on the verge of bankruptcy. The £40 motorhome "tourism" fee is something dreamt up in desperation, imho. It's a sticky plaster on much bigger problems.

Also consider that the pandemic and the B word combined changed the UK landscape massively, especially when applied to the resulting "staycation" effect.

Add financially bust (as well as already inefficient and wasteful) local councils into the mix and you end up with pretty poor and very patchy public infrastructure to cope with the increase in motorhome/camper tourism.

Orkney was a refreshing change from the rest of the UK. Public toilets everywhere for a start!

Selling a second home in another country is very much a first world problem (imho), whilst recognising it will be a hassle (as all property selling/buying usually is). But I wish we were paying something more like your annual French fees here instead of our current annual Council Tax - we'd be blummin' quids in!!

 

[marchie]

So you went somewhere where you pay no local taxes and enjoyed FREE facilities provided in that local area...
And spent money patronising local shops/eateries etc

Yet people doing the same in this country should pay £40 or whatever for provision of similar facilities

Or am I confused ?

You are confused. I said in my Post[ not verbatim], I can spend the money only once, so a free Aire means I spend more in the local economy; a chargeable Aire means I spend less. I still pay, either directly or indirectly, for the services I use

Steve

 

[Fisherman]

There isn't a cat in hell's chance of local UK councils making any meaningful improvements for motorhome and campers in any significant way right now.

They have bigger things to worry about and most of them are (if not already) on the verge of bankruptcy. The £40 motorhome "tourism" fee is something dreamt up in desperation, imho. It's a sticky plaster on much bigger problems.

Also consider that the pandemic and the B word combined changed the UK landscape massively, especially when applied to the resulting "staycation" effect.

Add financially bust (as well as already inefficient and wasteful) local councils into the mix and you end up with pretty poor and very patchy public infrastructure to cope with the increase in motorhome/camper tourism.

Orkney was a refreshing change from the rest of the UK. Public toilets everywhere for a start!

Selling a second home in another country is very much a first world problem (imho), whilst recognising it will be a hassle (as all property selling/buying usually is). But I wish we were paying something more like your annual French fees here instead of our current annual Council Tax - we'd be blummin' quids in!!

Marie I have never stated local councils should be held responsible for providing what little we actually require. I have clearly stated and I quote that our national governments should allocate funds, and do as France did decades ago making it mandatory that such provisions should be made. But ask yourself what we are asking for it’s really not much, mainly somewhere to park up, and these spaces are already there, but many restrictions placed upon them. On my last tour up there, other than the roads, we used nothing suppled solely or primarily for us by the local or regional councils.

 

[mistericeman]

You are confused. I said in my Post[ not verbatim], I can spend the money only once, so a free Aire means I spend more in the local economy; a chargeable Aire means I spend less. I still pay, either directly or indirectly, for the services I use

Steve

I was replying to your post No41 ....

Not your post No49 .

 

[Nabsim]

Being 'singled out' for being asked to pay for the services that you, I and other M/Homers use? Don't see how that argument has any logic

Our last trip to Spain cost us precisely zero in Aire Fees [other than £10 in Staffordshire for an overnight on the outward leg] for some 58 nights, including a couple of Aires that offered free EHU. We were delighted to shop locally and to visit local bakers, cafes and bars for the convenience of not having to cycle miles with food shopping etc, and to acknowledge the provision of the Aire by the local Community

Probably best that we agree to differ

Steve

I have to disagree Steve. I spent most of the Winter in Scotland and whenever I needed to use services I went to places that had them and paid what they asked. I don't see why I should pay over £5 a day just because I am in the Highlands. As an aside most camp sites were closed down over the Winter (including the big moaners right up the top) and a lot of the areas were frozen solid so no water available. I ended up coming back to England due to the lack of water, there weren't even supermarkets where you can but it from (don't suggest the little bottles lol).
In the UK we are taxed on taxes, its time we all said enough!

 

[Scotia]

I have to disagree Steve. I spent most of the Winter in Scotland and whenever I needed to use services I went to places that had them and paid what they asked. I don't see why I should pay over £5 a day just because I am in the Highlands. As an aside most camp sites were closed down over the Winter (including the big moaners right up the top) and a lot of the areas were frozen solid so no water available. I ended up coming back to England due to the lack of water, there weren't even supermarkets where you can but it from (don't suggest the little bottles lol).
In the UK we are taxed on taxes, its time we all said enough!