UK Aires, URGENT help needed for meeting with council

[sasquatch]

The main Priority for me is that the aires should be safe - I wouldn't leave my van on its own in an industrial estate / retail park / housing scheme in the middle of nowhere - so that I would be confident leaving it and being able to come back to it intact. I'd be happy to pay for that sort of thing and on the continent, 8 euros seems normal so about £5 is equivalent. Ideally I'd like to be either completely rural for walking, or within walking distance of the town centre for touristy things - but not inbetween!

I'd happily spend £50 for the two of us to eat, drink and be merry on one of our evenings. If on a longer trip, three days worth of groceries would add another £20 - £40 depending on whether the wine would need topped up too, and up to £100 on fuel.

In terms of facilities, fresh water and grey water drainage would be good to avoid carrying extra weight but not a showstopper.

We have said many times that the nicely located car parking areas in our county could make a small fortune this way - if the council had the foresight to put in ticket machines with a reasonable charge rather than NOP signs, we reckon they'd do really well. Minimum extra maintenance (they are being maintained for daytime parking anyway) and the prospect of an extra few quid for the council as well as a significant amount more for local businesses - if you were running this as a business, it would be a no-brainer.

Best of luck with this!

Likewise on our last trip to Cumbria we went into Grange over Sands to stock up and spent over £200-not all on food though, Memsahib spent nearly £150 on wellys and treats for her dog! This is the potential that the likes of Whitby and Scarborough are chucking away. Agreat shame as my aunt lives in Whitby and when we visit we take her out of town for any shopping.
You would think that Yorkshire especially would have an eye to the main chance!

 

[paul h]

we use our motorhome instead of the cost of going abroad to give recent example of spending left bolton lancs on friday night

stopped on little roodee chester £1.50 overnight went in italian restaurant £90 then carried on drinking round chester,next morning days parking in meter then off to wetherspoons for breakfast then went round shops
Left chester to pick daughter up in welshpool £5 overnight on car park then out in new pub/restaurant £60 filed up with stocks at tesco cant remember
aberdovey 2 nights no charge 2 nights evening meals out and 2 dinners for 3 plus the compulsary crab lines for off the pier

new quay £5 on car park overnight then out for tea £35 next morning out for breakfast
bed gelert £5 overnight in local hotel for tea £60
anglesey no cost camping £15 butchers and £20 in coop

granted we had mixed weather so ate out more often than not the above doent include stop offs on journey diesel fill ups and alcohol:mad1:

 

[Bigpeetee]

The replies so far have been just what is needed, but more please.

Anyone got photos of UK aire type facilities?

If you're out and about, take a snap

If you're at any meet, encourage people to reply.

That is of course you actually want a chance of aire type facilities in the UK??

 

[tommytli]

ive just come back from a month in europe and only used 3 campsite, ive put a post here with pics of stellplatz and sostas etc, please feel free to use any of the pics if they are of any use to you.

also we stayed on the coop capark whitby, the one with talks on being turned in to an aire, we paid the £6 per 24hrs x 3 vans we also paid £650 for a fishing trip for 12 lads the women also went into town shopping for clothes and lunch that day, we all also all went drinking and eating together after the fishing.

please feel free to use any of the content including pictures if they are of any use.

 

[witzend]

Our time spent with our motorhome is mostly spent in France as can't be bothered with the hassle and expensive of the UK 12 mths in last 24. But would spend more time here if overnight parking was more readily available Please don't mention payment and what we'd be prepared to pay as 5£ now would soon be 10£
you know what parking prices are like in UK

Good Luck with your Crusade