Plans To Stop Motorhomes Parking Dornoch

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Hi
Just read this on facebook. First they put up no overnight parking signs in the beach car park, so motor homes parked on the large grass area now bollards are going up

Dornoch Common Good Land (DCGL)

At the August Meeting of Dornoch Area Community Council, it was determined that some method be established to control excessive and extended parking on that part of the DCGL adjacent to the Beach Playpark.

The proposal is that a line of stobs be placed strategically on both sides of the low road leading from the northern limit of the Caravan Site round to the junction of the high road leading from the RDGC Clubhouse to the Beach Car Park. The aim would be to still permit significant car parking, but discourage extended stays by larger vehicles.

The cost of this exercise, if approved, would be borne by the Dornoch Common Good Fund.

A consultation period for public comment is now under way ending on 7th September. Residents of the Burgh can make comment via Facebook, by letter handed in to the Dornoch Service Point, or by email to dornochareacommunitycouncil@hotmail.co.uk
 
control excessive and extended parking

When will they learn that you don't stay for weeks on end ..
 
QFour said:
control excessive and extended parking

When will they learn that you don't stay for weeks on end ..
Click to expand...

I don't think it's necessarily about staying for weeks. As far as the public are concerned, one white box on wheels looks much like another. You stay a night and leave, I stay the next night then leave,. To most 1 van has parked over 2 nights,
 
mistericeman said:
Let's be honest 'some' folks DO stay for extended periods...
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No lets be honest, the attitude of local councils towards us is disgraceful.

My wife and I witnessed appalling behaviour at Musselburgh last visit.
Dog walkers leaving their dogs mess, drinking and shouting abuse, littering, turning on the water tap and leaving it running, Playing loud music till 1 am, and more.
In the morning we picked up all of their mess and binned it.
Now barriers have been put up preventing us from going back, but the yobs are still welcome.

We are easy targets, and the councillors are cajoled into these measures by the locals.
 
Fisherman said:
No lets be honest, the attitude of local councils towards us is disgraceful.

My wife and I witnessed appalling behaviour at Musselburgh last visit.
Dog walkers leaving their dogs mess, drinking and shouting abuse, littering, turning on the water tap and leaving it running, Playing loud music till 1 am, and more.
In the morning we picked up all of their mess and binned it.
Now barriers have been put up preventing us from going back, but the yobs are still welcome.

We are easy targets, and the councillors are cajoled into these measures by the locals.
Click to expand...

IF the locals don't want 'us' there....
Then I can see their point when it comes to a bunch of vans, parked up where they are overlooked.
I won't personally park anywhere where I can be seen from local houses/properties etc... (I wouldn't want my street to be lined with numbers of vans)
Seafronts (which seem to be a magnet for folks to park up in a van for periods... Treating it like a pop up camp site)
Aren't frankly aesthetically improved (well with the possible exception of Morecombe... It's not possible to make it worse) by long lines of vans parked up.

Park discretely briefly and with consideration for others and chances are no one will notice let alone object....

Treat places like you have a given right to act like your on a campsite campsite and restrictions will follow.
 
mistericeman said:
IF the locals don't want 'us' there....
Then I can see their point when it comes to a bunch of vans, parked up where they are overlooked.
I won't personally park anywhere where I can be seen from local houses/properties etc... (I wouldn't want my street to be lined with numbers of vans)
Seafronts (which seem to be a magnet for folks to park up in a van for periods... Treating it like a pop up camp site)
Aren't frankly aesthetically improved (well with the possible exception of Morecombe... It's not possible to make it worse) by long lines of vans parked up.

Park discretely briefly and with consideration for others and chances are no one will notice let alone object....

Treat places like you have a given right to act like your on a campsite campsite and restrictions will follow.
Click to expand...

Sorry but you are missing my point completely.

First and foremost we do 90% of our wild camping as you described.
Just back from a rural poi in Berwick today a mile away from any housing.

My point is there are many other problems at some of the urban locations and nothing gets done about them. Yes I agree I would not want large numbers of Motorhomes parked outside my home, but I would not want drunken behaviour, dog ****, litter, or any of the other points I raised either. We are easy targets plain and simple. Perhaps whilst errecting barriers these same councils looked at what they could do for us also things would be a whole lot better, but they don’t, do they. I have seen many locations just as you described with no overnight parking signs in place, areas were no locals would be effected. One I could mention on the Isle of Arran on the outskirts of lamlash, there are many others.

Instead of simply erecting barriers that don’t discriminate between good campers and idiots, control what goes on. Ie limit the amount of vans, length of time, etc, as they have done in the Loch Lomond country park.
 
Fisherman said:
Sorry but you are missing my point completely.

First and foremost we do 90% of our wild camping as you described.
Just back from a rural poi in Berwick today a mile away from any housing.

My point is there are many other problems at some of the urban locations and nothing gets done about them. Yes I agree I would not want large numbers of Motorhomes parked outside my home, but I would not want drunken behaviour, dog ****, litter, or any of the other points I raised either. We are easy targets plain and simple. Perhaps whilst errecting barriers these same councils looked at what they could do for us also things would be a whole lot better, but they don’t, do they. I have seen many locations just as you described with no overnight parking signs in place, areas were no locals would be effected. One I could mention on the Isle of Arran on the outskirts of lamlash, there are many others.

Instead of simply erecting barriers that don’t discriminate between good campers and idiots, control what goes on. Ie limit the amount of vans, length of time, etc, as they have done in the Loch Lomond country park.
Click to expand...

Cheaper and easier to stick a barrier in.....

It's not going to change no matter how many petions etc.... Certainly not for the better anyway.
 
mistericeman said:
Cheaper and easier to stick a barrier in.....

It's not going to change no matter how many petions etc.... Certainly not for the better anyway.
Click to expand...

Sadly I agree, but excuse me if I get annoyed at the injustice.

Like you my wife and I are very considerate, we do our best not to upset anyone, and we value the many places that we have wild camped in. And I am sure that applies to the vast majority of us all.

We do use campsites also, but we much prefer to wild camp, we love the locations, the feeling of independence, and sometimes the people we have met, including some on here.

I feel there is a great deal of ignorance towards us, and that ignorance is no basis for proper decision making.
 
Fisherman said:
Sadly I agree, but excuse me if I get annoyed at the injustice.

Like you my wife and I are very considerate, we do our best not to upset anyone, and we value the many places that we have wild camped in. And I am sure that applies to the vast majority of us all.

We do use campsites also, but we much prefer to wild camp, we love the locations, the feeling of independence, and sometimes the people we have met, including some on here.

I feel there is a great deal of ignorance towards us, and that ignorance is no basis for proper decision making.
Click to expand...

It isn't always 'just' but nothing is, likely to change frankly....
Councils have a limited budget and frankly providing/maintaining and policing areas for the numbers of folks just isn't cost effective for them....
The small schemes set up by local people do seem to work to a degree BUT folks moan about being charged £10 or whatever to stop on them....
Frankly there are a lot of folks involved in our hobby that just see 'wild camping' as a route to summat for nothing....
Like yourself I suspect, I suspect its nothing to do with cost but more about the being somewhere not surrounded by folks...
We stay on sites at times BUT only ones that are so unpopulated you could be forgiven for thinking you were wild camping....
One of the ones we use is £20 odd quid for the two of us and dogs...
But I don't begrudge it because its a stunning spot...
 
Fisherman said:
Sorry but you are missing my point completely.

First and foremost we do 90% of our wild camping as you described.
Just back from a rural poi in Berwick today a mile away from any housing.

My point is there are many other problems at some of the urban locations and nothing gets done about them. Yes I agree I would not want large numbers of Motorhomes parked outside my home, but I would not want drunken behaviour, dog ****, litter, or any of the other points I raised either. We are easy targets plain and simple. Perhaps whilst errecting barriers these same councils looked at what they could do for us also things would be a whole lot better, but they don’t, do they. I have seen many locations just as you described with no overnight parking signs in place, areas were no locals would be effected. One I could mention on the Isle of Arran on the outskirts of lamlash, there are many others.

Instead of simply erecting barriers that don’t discriminate between good campers and idiots, control what goes on. Ie limit the amount of vans, length of time, etc, as they have done in the Loch Lomond country park.
Click to expand...

Gotta agree with all you say.Motorhomes and campervans are being targeted by some councils BUT NOT ALL! some are welcoming us with open arms with car parks with marked spaces,agree there can be a charge with some of these but a small charge mostly.Some councils can see we can spend money in their towns helping local businesses,and welcome us.The ones that discriminate give a wide berth to.Their loss not ours.Musselburgh used to be one of our favourite stops.You could tuck away behind the hotel not in view of houses and had the toilets and water to hand.As you state and rightly so its the day trippers and local youth who dump the rubbish.On our last visit to Musselburgh not long ago(before barriers) we witnessed local youth (some say boy racers) in their cars and when they finished their takeaways they opened their car doors and dumped the crap on the road right by them.It encouraged a local fox (ok the fox needed feeding but the rubbish blew around making a mess). As others on here do we picked up their crap once they left so as not to leave us motorhomers a bad name,but to no avail i/e the barriers are up now.Shame because the boy racers can still visit Musselburgh and leave their crap BUT WE CANT.(visit I mean not leave crap)The councillors cant see further than the end of their noses.Again I feel its the councillors with fingers in the pies i/e owning campsite trying to force us their way well F@@@k em we will go elsewhere...(And yes we do use and pay for the marked spaces where motorhomes are welcome and are not complete freeloaders.And use campsites but steer clear of the regimental ones)

atb Mike
 
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mickymost said:
Gotta agree with all you say.Motorhomes and campervans are being targeted by some councils BUT NOT ALL! some are welcoming us with open arms with car parks with marked spaces,agree there can be a charge with some of these but a small charge mostly.Some councils can see we can spend money in their towns helping local businesses,and welcome us.The ones that discriminate give a wide berth to.Their loss not ours.Musselburgh used to be one of our favourite stops.You could tuck away behind the hotel not in view of houses and had the toilets and water to hand.As you state and rightly so its the day trippers and local youth who dump the rubbish.On our last visit to Musselburgh not long ago(before barriers) we witnessed local youth (some say boy racers) in their cars and when they finished their takeaways they opened their car doors and dumped the crap on the road right by them.It encouraged a local fox (ok the fox needed feeding but the rubbish blew around making a mess). As others on here do we picked up their crap once they left so as not to leave us motorhomers a bad name,but to no avail i/e the barriers are up now.Shame because the boy racers can still visit Musselburgh and leave their crap BUT WE CANT.(visit I mean not leave crap)The councillors cant see further than the end of their noses.Again I feel its the councillors with fingers in the pies i/e owning campsite trying to force us their way well F@@@k em we will go elsewhere...(And yes we do use and pay for the marked spaces where motorhomes are welcome and are not complete freeloaders.And use campsites but steer clear of the regimental ones)

atb Mike
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Money has got nothing to do with this.
We would gladly have paid at Musselburgh, if provision had been made for us.
Even though the facilities for everyone else are provided foc.
Last year we booked three nights at the caravan and Motorhome club site at Stonehaven.
When we arrived we we saw some vans parked on the roadside with a lovely sea view, in the harbour there were another couple of vans again with lovely sea views. Meanwhile we had a stunning view of other units in the club site at £28 a night. We have since returned to Stonehaven and had two nights at the harbour.

I am in contact with some on the Isle of Arran.
I reckon we should be paying for the free facilities they are providing.
Currently they have two chemical waste points, and they would like to increase this to four.
But finances prevent this in Brodick and lack of proper sewerage at Lochranza.
You are now able to make donations at the waste points which unlike the toilet facilities are still owned and run by Arran council. The toilets are run and owned by the local communities.

I am all in favour of us paying our way, no way do I think that we should be given freebies by over stretched councils. But it seems this option is not being made available.

Like many on here I much prefer rural pois, but occasionally we have used urban pois.
We enjoyed Musselburgh as it gave us the easy access into Edinburgh for the festival, and some great coastal walks. But we will use the other poi further east in future.
 
The places mentioned are seaside towns which make money from day trippers and boy racers. Motorhomes using the carparks as a campsite is the issue. Have we forgot the arrive late and leave early, leave no trace and if all ready occupied find another place. I think the old Wildcamping rule book has been thrown on the bonfire. I think Fisherman would like the whole of Bonnie Scotland to be run by Loch Lomond and Trosachs clowns.
 
caledonia said:
The places mentioned are seaside towns which make money from day trippers and boy racers. Motorhomes using the carparks as a campsite is the issue. Have we forgot the arrive late and leave early, leave no trace and if all ready occupied find another place. I think the old Wildcamping rule book has been thrown on the bonfire. I think Fisherman would like the whole of Bonnie Scotland to be run by Loch Lomond and Trosachs clowns.
Click to expand...


THIS ^^^^^^
is the nail on the head for me.....

The World of difference between 'wild camping' and parking for free where ever you see fit.
So many folks have lost sight of the arrive late/move, on early and only stay one night ideal.
 
mistericeman said:
THIS ^^^^^^
is the nail on the head for me.....

The World of difference between 'wild camping' and parking for free where ever you see fit.
So many folks have lost sight of the arrive late/move, on early and only stay one night ideal.
Click to expand...

The carpark at Musselburgh (Fisherrow harbour) is a prime example of motorhomers p**sing in their own chips .
Parking in front of the flats , in the turning spaces , tables and chairs out etc .
Boy racers , drunken locals are totally separate , unrelated problems .
 
The young boy racers and yobs are buying petrol, takeaways, Buckie, fags and lots of other dodgy things with their hard earned. We turn up with a fridge full of Lidl and expect to be welcomed. The boy racers are actually very approachable and enjoy their hobby as much as us.
 
I feel that a lot of the issues now becoming ascotiated with wild camping are caused by the most inconsiderate & ignorant section of society.
They feel that the local people whom they are inconveniencing, are not able to stop them behaving like toddlers, because they don't know who they are.
They have no conception of the true wild camping etiquete because they are totally unaware of how decent, responsible people act & are more than willing to let someone else clear up their mess!!

I am perfectly ok with paying a fee for the use of a CL etc., that has a few facilities to make life easier & I would prefer these places to be away from the maddening crowd.

Phill
 
I confess to using CL's more than I did, but am planning a run next month taking in a few towns. First night at a CL in Kirk Ireton(for the pub), Skipton, Kendal, a night or two in a CL with EU (so swmbo can dry her hair and a bbq) , Kirkby Lonsdale, Chester then Stratford upon Avon and home. I've never been inspired by urban sites but at least I'll get to sample the beers.
 
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