Scarborough traders complain

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Despairing traders demand action over night-time camper van parking
Published on Friday 24 June 2011 09:18

SCARBOROUGH traders are being driven to despair by rogue camper van drivers abusing parking spaces to stay free of charge in the seaside town overnight.

At a recent meeting of the Scarborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce, members complained of dozens of camper vans using parking spaces overlooking the sea as an overnight sleeping spot, with one witness reporting as many as 50 parked on one street alone one evening.

The problem is most serious around Marine Drive to the north of the skateboard park and the West Pier car park, with camper vans regularly being spotted searching for spaces for the night.

Despite warnings that overnight parking of camper vans is not allowed, people are sleeping in their vehicles to avoid paying for hotels or using caravan parks.

Now traders are calling for more to be done to stop owners abusing the system and draining vital income from the seaside town’s tourist economy in the summer months.


http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/...king_1_3513351
 
the debate continues then, will be interesing to see what happens, especially when one of the councillors owns a caravan site :rolleyes2:
 
Not sure if this is stated as a fact or speculation...but this was a problem for years in Torquay where the power of the hotel industry in guiding council policy was immense
 
What's the difference between free facilities at night or during the day??

Most coastal town have a plethora of eating venues, from burger bars to top of the range restaurants.

However the council provide services ie picnic benches for those who choose not to use commercial operations and do their own thing. Do the owners of the cafes etc complain.

You can go on; the council provide play equipment for free, but you can go to a play venue and pay for it.

The list goes on, so why when it comes to stopping overnight do people all of a sudden change their approach?

I appreciate that some people do park inconsiderately and that might p*ss the owner off. But if we had Aires..........................
 
Luckheart said:
Lets go and stay in a hotel, where am I going to park my van whist I'm there:p
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You park right outside the hotel or in their car park don't you?.

We do that from time to time for a bit of luxury and no hotel has ever said
" Go away - you can't use this hotel because you have a motorhome"

What would happen if you were to stay at a Scarborough B&B. Would they try and move the motorhome on even if you were not sleeping in it? If your van is road legal I don't see how they can.

I can see both sides of the Scarborough traders complaint. They and the council have invested in improving facilities in Scarborough. I think that parking in Scarborough streets is hardly ' wild camping' (unless the visitors and locals go wild after a few beers) and maybe it is more like 'freeloading'. If you bring your provisions with you into a town you are hardly helping their local economy. If you do true 'wild camping' then there is probably not much local economy to support. If there is, I for one, always try to support.

Others on this website might well disagree.

IanM
 
When this topic was discussed here a couple of years ago it was suggested that the owner of a caravan site in Burniston, a couple of miles north of Scarborough, was related to a councillor (Backhouse i think) and that family interest may play a part in the decision making.
I wonder if the council have considered that making vans unwelcome will not fill the campsites but only rob local traders of income by persuading visitors to use other resorts.
 
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we've always made a point of spending money in the local small community, not major chains, etc,

if they make moves to make it more difficult for us, then I'm more than happy to move my camping in-land definitely away from Scarborough.

then they won't get any of my hard earned money.

plenty of nice places to visit, that want my cash:mad1:,
 
kenjones said:
When this topic was discussed here a couple of years ago it was suggested that the owner of a caravan site in Burniston, a couple of miles north of Scarborough, was related to a councillor (Backhouse i think) and that family interest may play a part in the decision making.
I wonder if the council have considered that making vans unwelcome will not fill the campsites but only rob local traders of income by persuading visitors to use other resorts.
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here here, well said. i cant remember the name of the councillor but i emailed stating this was a conflict of interest and he should not be entitled to have a say, it would be interesting to see, if they did ban MH's how much trade would be lost, i think the traders have tunnel vision and think we dont spend for some reason, i never take my own provisions, i always shop when visiting anywhere, maybe us MH's should have our own currency to proove we spend money :banana:
 
kimbowbill said:
here here, well said. i cant remember the name of the councillor but i emailed stating this was a conflict of interest and he should not be entitled to have a say, it would be interesting to see, if they did ban MH's how much trade would be lost, i think the traders have tunnel vision and think we dont spend for some reason, i never take my own provisions, i always shop when visiting anywhere, maybe us MH's should have our own currency to proove we spend money :banana:
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I have no interest in overnighting among the traffic on Marine Drive.
I do however make frequent day trips to Scarborough when, like you, I always use local shops and cafe's etc.
The attitude of the council is offensive and not at all visitor friendly. Many other resorts look more welcoming.
Time for a change?
 
kenjones said:
I have no interest in overnighting among the traffic on Marine Drive.
I do however make frequent day trips to Scarborough when, like you, I always use local shops and cafe's etc.
The attitude of the council is offensive and not at all visitor friendly. Many other resorts look more welcoming.
Time for a change?
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yes ken, i agree, i dont use marine drive either, its far too noisey for me but if the council and traders are going to treat me/us like lepars then my money spends anywhere and i will take my business elsewhere,

Jen
 
But when people abuse our parking facilities they are in effect taking away income from local caravan parks which are set up specifically to cater for camper van visitors.”

But they are not are they? .... where are the 'Aire' type pitches then?
 
Hi, As always there are two sides to the argument. In Bournemouth the situation is the same & for the same reason.
Very few have any complaints about a bit of discreet parking, but & it’s a BIG but some people take advantage. I live close to the beach in the Bournemouth area & in the summer we often find a motorhome / caravan/ van parked in the road or actually on the grass overlooking the sea.
Not satisfied with that they often stay for several days, curtains drawn until midday.
The biggest complainers – folk on holiday with small children who have no wish to walk past parked up vans, overflowing litter bins & in some instances worse.

Part of the ethos of this site is to help people enjoy motorhoming without spending a fortune,& all the more experienced members say the same thing “if wild camping be discreet, leave no litter,& if possible do it where you are not in full view of the public”
Unfortunatly the sefish minority continue to try & ruin things for the rest us.

Dezi
 
With few exceptions, I have no wish to go anywhere that neither I not my money is welcome.

I would suggest to the local authorities to look at the French model for accomodating motorhomes outside formal campsites, which many of us don't want. I can't be doing with the waiting around to book in, the booking in itself, showing a passport. The aire system and wilding suites me very well. If there is a problem with numbers, then one solution is to provide cheap, no frills services for MHs and generate some money from it. Pushing tourists away, when you are a tourist town, is simply moronic.

I want to give my money to local business (not to the council), but I am not going to bled dry by overpriced camping sites where I am paying for services I don't need or want.

Bournemouth - 50 MHs? What a great business opportunity!! Where are the entrepreneurs?


Polly
 
Pollik said:
With few exceptions, I have no wish to go anywhere that neither I not my money is welcome.

I would suggest to the local authorities to look at the French model for accomodating motorhomes outside formal campsites, which many of us don't want. I can't be doing with the waiting around to book in, the booking in itself, showing a passport. The aire system and wilding suites me very well. If there is a problem with numbers, then one solution is to provide cheap, no frills services for MHs and generate some money from it. Pushing tourists away, when you are a tourist town, is simply moronic.

I want to give my money to local business (not to the council), but I am not going to bled dry by overpriced camping sites where I am paying for services I don't need or want.

Bournemouth - 50 MHs? What a great business opportunity!! Where are the entrepreneurs?


Polly
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There are plenty of entrepreneurs in the Bournemouth area running motorhome sites,but I understood we were talking about people who do not use them.

Dezi
 
we go to the coast line very little durein the holiday season but when we have been this year we are noticing far more vans parked up than ever before and in places that are sure to upset the locals causing them to involve the council
Scarborough like most other coastal resorts no longer rely on tourism for their income they rely on benefits they get them all year round go into any town centre and it looks like jeremy kyles waiting room
 
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We have spent a couple of nights on Marine Drive. It has 1000s of spaces that are not used at night. There were about 6 vans over night, I cant see the problem. We spent money on Fish and chips and gifts etc.
 
Dezi said:
There are plenty of entrepreneurs in the Bournemouth area running motorhome sites,but I understood we were talking about people who do not use them.

Dezi
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...because the sites aren't selling what the MHers want?



Polly
 
Who are these faceless, nameless traders that are in despair?

Is it the man I buy newspaper from?
Is it the café I get my Coffee and Bacon Sandwich from?
Is it the garage I get a tank of petrol from?
Is it the shop I buy provisions from?
Is it the girl I buy an Ice cream from?
Is it the Chippie I get my supper from?
Perhaps it,s the pub that I have the odd pint in.

Or is it some money grabber who wants me to spend £30.00 to park on soft grass and maybe I will get a few gallons of water and empty my tanks which I can do for free elsewhere.

If a hundred motorhomes (not the dozen or so I have seen) parked along Marine drive at night, you could still do it without blocking anyones view and there will still be masses of space for other people to park at night.

I admit that I am not putting money directly in the hotel owners pockets but after a great weekend in Scarborough, I go back to work and tell friends and colleagues what a wonderful time I had in Scarborough. Not going to do them any harm is it?

Richard
 
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