Motorhomes banned in Walmer

[groyne]

A van was parked on Redcar seafront yesterday afternoon, it was discharging it's grey water into the gutter for all to see.

 

[Phantom]

A van was parked on Redcar seafront yesterday afternoon, it was discharging it's grey water into the gutter for all to see.

Not good, Joe Public will perhaps assume that they are emptying their toilet and spread the word?

 

[maureenandtom]

Dr Bailey an Ex councillor with strings to pull.

Motor homes can still park there in the day. How much of their view of the sea is lost when it’s dark and they have their curtains shut?
Just another example of nimbyism and the UK’s national pastime of interfering in other people’s lives.

In my opinion …. but born of experience:-

There will have been no complaints from residents until stirred up by someone who is creative, resourceful and is vengeful - perhaps with an eye to keeping his name public for future elections.. He will have begun a campaign and sought support from those around him. Those around him will have been reluctant to withold their support but without the energies of this one man they would not have seen any need to complain.

“The campaign started with former parish councillor Dr Alan (Pip) Bailey starting a residents group Walmer Watchers.”

Experience shows that so rarely, that we can say never, does the public complain to officialdom about us.

Time after time when asked to show complaints from the public, after asserting that there have been complaints, councils are unable to show them.

We need someone with this guy's resourcefulness and creativity on our side.

 

[maureenandtom]

Me neither but an awful lot of people do stay in places like that simply because it`s free.

There`s an aire type stop-over in Lytham St. Annes not far from me that costs approx £5 per night to stay.

Nice large marked bays well away from the road and right by the prom and beach but lots and lots will stay out on the road, because it`s free.

Similarly Fleetwood has the same set up and it happens there as well, more out on the road than in the official overnight parking, because it`s free.

Interesting that you should quote Fleetwood. Originally Wyre Borough Council banned motorhomers from overnighting. This was in 2016 and we had a little thread about it at https://wildcamping.co.uk/threads/fleetwood-marine-hall-car-park.53477/page-2#post-689077

I had a little bit of a barney with the council, in the nicest possible way and with a bit of opposition, to me, and support for the council from some members on here.

But there was a little success.

Now, as you say, we have a limited permission for Fleetwood. Perhaps someone could begin a small campaign for this place too? We do have successes sometimes and therte is a hint that a campaign could be successful. From the original post.

"One option being considered for the past year is the Borrow Pit car park, the gravel area off The Beach which was undergoing a feasbility study by Dover District Council's Dover Joint Transportation Board. "

 

[Wooie1958]

I presume you`ve already seen this ?

Park your motorhome or campervan | Park your motorhome or campervan | Wyre Council

Information on where you can park your motorhomes and caravans

www.wyre.gov.uk

 

[jagmanx]

Not good, Joe Public will perhaps assume that they are emptying their toilet and spread the word?

Whilst I agree with the sentiment re "Joe Public" and black waste
I see nothing inherently wrong with carefully disposing of "Grey waste" in a roadside drain.
I am happy to be corrected by a qualified person so I await reponses.
I agree it looks bad and I agree that is a problem.

 

[Phantom]

I see nothing inherently wrong with carefully disposing of "Grey waste" in a roadside drain.

There's nothing wrong at all, though better done with discretion to avoid public confusion as they tend to be unfamiliar with such perfectly fine legal practices.

 

[Wooie1958]

I see nothing inherently wrong with carefully disposing of "Grey waste" in a roadside drain.

I agree when done carefully, quietly and using a healthy dose of common sense but there lies the problem ..............................

An increasing amount of motorhomers these days lack those qualities and don`t give a damn, they will just open the tap and let it go, right across car parks in many cases.

 

[Pedalman]

I agree that it is a bit irrational that parking in "car parks" is allowed in daytime but is not at night when people have their house curtains closed....but irrational people put pressure on councils and irrational decisions can be made. Maybe residents are worried about "travellers" moving in.
I often wonder why caravans and motorhomes need to be "stand out" white, Is it cost ? We often see the eyesore of large white static caravan parks on the coasts visible from many miles away and I can understand why residents looking at a a wall of ten or twenty white motorhomes lined up in an urban car park can cause a reaction.
I painted my ivory camper van Nato Green because it was attracting negative attention, and I've not had any problem in the four years since I did it, even in urban car parks.

 

[geoffvalenti]

Unfortunately, Walmer is just the latest place to fall victim to an overnight ban after being revealed and promoted on sites such as this.

I often think that we really are our own worst enemy at times.

I've looked at Walmer as a possible overnight stop after seeing it in the POI list, but decided against staying there, as in my mind it wasn't a suitable spot.

It's a fairly narrow road that's surprisingly busy and I'd be surprised if motorhomes haven't been damaged over the years by carelessly driven vehicles speeding along the road.

It also gets very crowded and so is not my idea of anywhere that I'd like to stay.
If I wanted to be in that close proximity to others I'd go on a campsite, apart from the obvious costs.

I do think that before adding spots to the POI list we should give a bit more thought to their long term suitability.
Just because you've managed to stay overnight once in a spot, trouble free, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good idea to publicise it to the world and his wife, who may not be so unobtrusive and have such a minimal impact on the surroundings, during their stay, as you had done previously.

I fear that if we find a good overnight spot and then publicise it to the world, in the end it's only a matter of time before a few idiots come along and spoil it for the rest of us.

Maybe some of these more sensitive areas, which are obviously going to be an eventual source of complaint by the NIMBY locals, should be kept to yourself if you want to use them again in the future.

 

[Snapster]

I worked and lived close to Walmer beach and the road where the alleged nuisance takes place, for almost 10 years.
I’ve even parked our motor home along that road in the daytime ( never overnight) and regularly walked our dogs along the beach.
A couple of years ago, there were travellers caravans parked on the green next to the road and they were soon moved on. I’ve never seen these alleged hoards of motor homes parked along the road nor seen any piles rubbish left by any parked there.
I have seen lots of litter and rubbish left around full bins and on the green left by normal holidaymakers and chip papers ( bought from the local chippy) left lying around, he doesn’t appear to be targeting those people for leaving litter and making noise. On the whole Walmer seafront is a very clean area.
I have seen one of two vehicles parked on the road overnight, at least two belonged to local residents and had been parked for months, as you would park a car, but as has been suggested before, I think this has been a one man led campaign expressly designed to exert his own will on the area. ( as generally turn out to be the case in most places this happens)
There is a car park nearby on the same road that would be ideal to provide a motor home parking area, but at the moment, as usual, overnight parking is not allowed.

 

[Deleted member 53037]

Why o why can’t councils do as the French do and provide upto 2 day parking in an area happy with the locals, has facilities and provides income.

 

[Snapster]

French have a non discrimination policy in regards to parking. A motor home up to 3.5 tonnes is classed as a car and is allowed to park anywhere a car can, as long as it fits. Aires or specific motor homes / camper parking is provided as a safe place for them to park without them clogging up town centres and blocking roads. Many towns have signs telling you an aire is provided and parking is mandatory there. Many are free as is most car parking.
But, the main reason is that French like having visitors and provide facilities for them.

 

[DocMartin]

All those that have been classed as 'van with windows', might still have the right to park overnight.

And of course, such vehicles as my Daihatsu Romahome which is registered as a pick up, and vans which are still registered as vans. So you lucky people and stealth campers can have it all to yourself overnight.

 

[REC]

The quoted article does say that the council are considering allowing parking in a car par on beach road. This is probably the best answer...be a nicer spot to park anyway.
I emailed the Canterbury city council last week, complimenting them on their park and ride provision and emphasising that we visit the city and spend money whenever there. Got a lovely reply, from a senior manager, saying nobody sends positives to them.

 

[maureenandtom]

I worked and lived close to Walmer beach and the road where the alleged nuisance takes place, for almost 10 years.
I’ve even parked our motor home along that road in the daytime ( never overnight) and regularly walked our dogs along the beach.
A couple of years ago, there were travellers caravans parked on the green next to the road and they were soon moved on. I’ve never seen these alleged hoards of motor homes parked along the road nor seen any piles rubbish left by any parked there.
I have seen lots of litter and rubbish left around full bins and on the green left by normal holidaymakers and chip papers ( bought from the local chippy) left lying around, he doesn’t appear to be targeting those people for leaving litter and making noise. On the whole Walmer seafront is a very clean area.
I have seen one of two vehicles parked on the road overnight, at least two belonged to local residents and had been parked for months, as you would park a car, but as has been suggested before, I think this has been a one man led campaign expressly designed to exert his own will on the area. ( as generally turn out to be the case in most places this happens)
There is a car park nearby on the same road that would be ideal to provide a motor home parking area, but at the moment, as usual, overnight parking is not allowed.

This mirrors my experience. Without this one guy there would have been minimal or more probably no complaints from residents. And there is room for a small campaign; a nearby place has been under consideration for a year. A year!

If one of our neighbours came to us and said he was looking for support to ban some sort of on street parking around our houses, we'd listent to him and probably agree to support him ouit of a normal desire to be a good neigbbour.

My experience over the ten or fifteen years I've been an active supporter of permitted overngiht parking places, is that, generally and covid perhaps excepted, the public is tolerant of us and people not complain. Indeed, my experience is that most are supportive and even envioius.

Time after time councils allege large numbers of complaints which they can never show. This can be turned to advantage and, surprisingly, there are occasional successes.

What I have never understood is why so many of us motorhomers are so denigratory about other motorhomers. No wonder our successes are rare; we do not have a good record of supporting our own. So many of us seem to get some perverse pleasure of recounting instances of poor behaviour.

 

[Tookey]

I agree that it is a bit irrational that parking in "car parks" is allowed in daytime but is not at night when people have their house curtains closed....but irrational people put pressure on councils and irrational decisions can be made. Maybe residents are worried about "travellers" moving in.
I often wonder why caravans and motorhomes need to be "stand out" white, Is it cost ? We often see the eyesore of large white static caravan parks on the coasts visible from many miles away and I can understand why residents looking at a a wall of ten or twenty white motorhomes lined up in an urban car park can cause a reaction.
I painted my ivory camper van Nato Green because it was attracting negative attention, and I've not had any problem in the four years since I did it, even in urban car parks.

I have wondered the same and can only suggest that it is to reflect the sun

 

[SquirrellCook]

Do you think pink would get you noticed?