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

[marchie]

Bea doesn't need to freeload Terry. She's got a rich husband.

It's our 18th Wedding Anniversary today, Rob, and this coincides with the arrival of the Heating Engineer who serviced the boiler and swept both woodstoves. When I gave the invoice to Elaine as an anniversary present, her reaction suggested that there may not be a 19th anniversary ...

Steve

 

[runnach]

Bea doesn't need to freeload Terry. She's got a rich husband.

I need to find out where he lives???

 

[Nabsim]

I am happy to disagree, Neil. If we start with the classic Economics model of just 2 parties/components to avoid the complications of 'all those noughts blurring one's understanding', let's assume that Town A has an Aire and charges £5 per day to stay and use the facilities, the cost recognising that the fees must contribute to the capital cost of the project. The fees contribute £1 to the local economy, and the retail businesses are able to withstand a £1 payment in Business Rates/Taxes from the extra business revenues derived from Motorhome Tourism

Town B sets up the same Aire, but does not charge a nightly fee, because it does not want to limit usage of the facilities by cost conscious Motorhomers [Hawick is a good Scottish example as I have posted about with the immediate post COVID Lockdown 'coincidental Gathering'] that was free but the collected receipts from the 40 M/Homes exceeded £4,000 local business takings]. The local businesses receive a boost from the extra tourism, and their Business Rates can cover the £2 cost of the Aire. Coincidental benefits are a reduction in socially irresponsible Motorhoming e.g. emptying cassettes in public toilets, and it is for the local authority to enforce collection of fees from tent &/or car campers. As I've said, there is no obligation to provide the Aires at local authority level, but their presence will attract business. As far as being singled out is concerned, perhaps fellow M/Homers should complain about us, because their taxes ontribute to the NHS, and we each seem to have acquired a major chunk of the 'free at the point of delivery' care through the hospital system. A socially responsible tax system ensures that the services are present and funded, and the individual taxpayers will pay differing rates and amounts based on the individual's income, irrespective of whether the higher income earners actually consume their 'fair share' of the service provision

Steve

I must be a little thick on this as I don't understand what you are on about at all. I don't use aires, if I do I would pay whatever they charge for whatever services I wanted to use.

Lets put this into perspective. In effect this is one council area, why would you be happy to pay that council if you weren't also willing to pay every other council? So £40 per week, no mention of day passes. How many council areas would you go through from Thurso to Cornwall?

I am against any tax, if I want something I pay whatever i costs if there is a cost, if its free then I don't pay. Much as I love the highlands if they imposed this as compulsory I would no longer go there. In my opinion the money would not be used to benefit any of us in any case. Tax the consortium(s) that get all the money from the NC500 if they want money. I don't believe its Scots don't want us there in the most part, I think its incomes same as is happening in many villages in England and probably Wales and Ireland as well.

Need to dig out my Che Guvera hat and afghan coat lol

 

[marchie]

I must be a little thick on this as I don't understand what you are on about at all. I don't use aires, if I do I would pay whatever they charge for whatever services I wanted to use.

Lets put this into perspective. In effect this is one council area, why would you be happy to pay that council if you weren't also willing to pay every other council? So £40 per week, no mention of day passes. How many council areas would you go through from Thurso to Cornwall?

I am against any tax, if I want something I pay whatever i costs if there is a cost, if its free then I don't pay. Much as I love the highlands if they imposed this as compulsory I would no longer go there. In my opinion the money would not be used to benefit any of us in any case. Tax the consortium(s) that get all the money from the NC500 if they want money. I don't believe its Scots don't want us there in the most part, I think its incomes same as is happening in many villages in England and probably Wales and Ireland as well.

Need to dig out my Che Guvera hat and afghan coat lol

There is no tax, Neil, for merely passing through a local authority area. The £40 Pass is for the services in Highland for a week [@Jo001 '£5.71 per night, IIRC]. We shouldn't expect Free [at the point of use] Aires, because the local authority, and therefore the local Council Tax payer, ends up with the cost on their Council Tax Bill. If the Services are free [as in Hawick, where we spent over £4,000 amongst 40 M/Homers during the first post-Covid 'Informal Gathering], then spending to support the local economy makes sense, because the local businesses and residents will pick up the tab for our free to use services, but they will have the profits from the extra tourism income to defray the additional taxes

Steve

 

[Nabsim]

There is no tax, Neil, for merely passing through a local authority area. The £40 Pass is for the services in Highland for a week [@Jo001 '£5.71 per night, IIRC]. We shouldn't expect Free [at the point of use] Aires, because the local authority, and therefore the local Council Tax payer, ends up with the cost on their Council Tax Bill. If the Services are free [as in Hawick, where we spent over £4,000 amongst 40 M/Homers during the first post-Covid 'Informal Gathering], then spending to support the local economy makes sense, because the local businesses and residents will pick up the tab for our free to use services, but they will have the profits from the extra tourism income to defray the additional taxes

Steve

You are still not getting what I am saying Steve, I don't use aires, don't use services very often. I can easily manage with services once a week, well, I can quite easily manage with services once a fortnight really. Fo me it would be a tax. What else can it be called if you had to pay for something you don't use or want?

I CAN, (and do) go to a campsite or other place with facilities once a week or once a fortnight and pay for what I use. I can assure you is costs me a lot less than £40 a week

 

[Nabsim]

I prefer the term "Freeloader". Waster implies you are wasting summat. You are not, you are blagging summat for free! I would never do that of course.

I prefer the term sensible lol. If something didn't say it had any charges (fixed or voluntary) why would anyone pay??? You lot have too much money

 

[TJBi]

Never seen anything as bad as that to be fair. They like to nick stuff as well. Well they call it foraging. We often used to stay at a fantastic unofficial Aire at Collobreres just a few miles inland from St Tropez on the med coast. It was free but the village is known for its Chestnuts and they make Chestnut ice cream and all sorts of stuff. Its a charming place. The landowner who obviously lets motorhomes park on his land for free was outraged last time we were there as some of the motorhomers were picking chestnuts off his trees! Seen this behaviour in the Dordogne as well. If it were England that field would be shut down faster than you can say Height Barriers but as far as I am aware its still there.

The self-declared landowner at Collobrières was reported in March 2023 to have sold his house and planned to move to another region (also known for its chestnuts!) in October 2023. CCI has no reports since March 2023, but other sources would suggest that it's still operational and may in fact be municipal.

 

[Jo001]

I did say I'd be happy to pay £40 per week for authorised parking, showers etc., and I stand by that.

But.

I didn't realise I might not be able to get on to the car park spaces, if they were already taken. That changes it quite a bit.

 

[barryd]

I prefer the term sensible lol. If something didn't say it had any charges (fixed or voluntary) why would anyone pay??? You lot have too much money

Not me! I don't have any money. Michelle seems to have it all. I can't even remember what actual money looks like.

 

[Walkingmox]

If it meant that they provided places to empty chemical toilets I would play that and more. No one allowed it on the Isle of Bute unless you stay at the campsite in Rothesay and who wants to do that. I won’t rush back to Scotland we found them very motorhome averse

 

[Fisherman]

If it meant that they provided places to empty chemical toilets I would play that and more. No one allowed it on the Isle of Bute unless you stay at the campsite in Rothesay and who wants to do that. I won’t rush back to Scotland we found them very motorhome averse

You can wild camp on Bute, I have done several times. As for not coming back to Scotland that’s biting your nose of to spite your face. Scotland is head and shoulders the best and easiest place to wild camp, find an aire or carpark in the UK. As I type I am wild camping on Arran, and apart from one night, I will be doing so for a week.

 

[mistericeman]

You can wild camp on Bute, I have done several times. As for not coming back to Scotland that’s biting your nose of to spite your face. Scotland is head and shoulders the best and easiest place to wild camp, find an aire or carpark in the UK.

Can't say I've EVER had an issue on our many trips there ....

BUT then ,

We avoid the honey pots at peak season and try desperately to not be a knob and upset people (or as I prefer to call it ....just act like a civilised person and treat people and places as I'd like to be treated ) ....

I wouldn't dream of parking up somewhere and upsetting someone just because I thought I was entitled ...

To be honest most of the places I've ever wildcamped ...
anyone would only know because it was cleaner than when I landed
I've even repaired fences and public loos at times when we've visited .

 

[Robmac]

If it meant that they provided places to empty chemical toilets I would play that and more. No one allowed it on the Isle of Bute unless you stay at the campsite in Rothesay and who wants to do that. I won’t rush back to Scotland we found them very motorhome averse

They are no more averse to Motorhomers than the rest of the UK to be honest, we get a lot of bad press everywhere unfortunately due to the actions of a few morons and the propaganda spread by a sensationalist press and some campsite owners.

I would hate it if I ever felt that I couldn't go to Scotland for this reason, it's my favourite place on Earth. The places I go to regularly I have got to know the locals and they have always made me feel more than welcome. Don't let a bad experience on one trip taint your view on Scotland, as Bill said, cutting off nose...

 

[marchie]

You are still not getting what I am saying Steve, I don't use aires, don't use services very often. I can easily manage with services once a week, well, I can quite easily manage with services once a fortnight really. Fo me it would be a tax. What else can it be called if you had to pay for something you don't use or want?

I CAN, (and do) go to a campsite or other place with facilities once a week or once a fortnight and pay for what I use. I can assure you is costs me a lot less than £40 a week

C&CC Service Points were about £7 per use, with a 3 hours limit on the stay, last time I looked, Neil; so, charging £40 for 7 days is slightly cheaper per night. Nobody is obliged to use them, but paying when we do [or spending in the local economy when such facilities are free], seems perfectly reasonable. I doubt that we'll venture into the Highlands for the foreseeable future, so the debate is largely redundant

Steve

 

[Rolyan57]

If it meant that they provided places to empty chemical toilets I would play that and more. No one allowed it on the Isle of Bute unless you stay at the campsite in Rothesay and who wants to do that. I won’t rush back to Scotland we found them very motorhome averse

Personally I don’t find anywhere in the U.K. Motorhome averse, and certainly not Scotland.

Apart from speaking in general (I’ve never had a single issue and go every year) this thread is about the Highland councils provision of free stopovers in their car parks. You can choose to donate £10 a night if you wish. Or choose to pay a £40 a week pass if you wish. Or even choose to pay nothing if you wish.

I’m genuinely confused as to how you’ve found Scotland motorhome averse.

 

[Rolyan57]

 

[Rolyan57]

I did say I'd be happy to pay £40 per week for authorised parking, showers etc., and I stand by that.

But.

I didn't realise I might not be able to get on to the car park spaces, if they were already taken. That changes it quite a bit.

I’m guessing a few that are supporting this scheme think it reserves places etc.

I’m not sure why they don’t run an online scheme like some car parks in the UK. The one opposite Bamburgh Castle seems to work well and brings in revenue.

 

[Jo001]

My main concern with the ones in Northumberland is that they only allow one night. Our usual pattern is to stay for two nights in most places - arrive sometime in the afternoon, spend the next day visiting, spend tw night and off next day.

I contacted Northumberland council but just got a short reply saying they had no plans to change the current one-night restriction.

Perhaps they would reconsider if they got a bit more interest in two night stopovers? I contacted parkingservices@northumberland.gov.uk

 

[Robmac]

My main concern with the ones in Northumberland is that they only allow one night. Our usual pattern is to stay for two nights in most places - arrive sometime in the afternoon, spend the next day visiting, spend tw night and off next day.

I contacted Northumberland council but just got a short reply saying they had no plans to change the current one-night restriction.

Perhaps they would reconsider if they got a bit more interest in two night stopovers? I contacted parkingservices@northumberland.gov.uk

I prefer 2 night stops as normally I find a stop near a pub and so then don't like driving the next morning. If we have a second night I can stay alcohol free and then leave early in the morning and making the most of the next day.

 

[Scotia]

I prefer 2 night stops as normally I find a stop near a pub and so then don't like driving the next morning. If we have a second night I can stay alcohol free and then leave early in the morning and making the most of the next day.

Pinocchio, " Stay a second night alcohol free ! "