Will C&MC now be supportive of Motorhome Aires?

As a matter of interest why does designing an aire suitable for caravans add to the challenge ? I assume all aires have fresh and waste water provision which is all a caravan needs - just the same as a motorhome.

I think that there are a number that do not have such facilities. Some may have a public toilet available but many are closed before 6pm

As a matter of interest why does designing an aire suitable for caravans add to the challenge ?

Because they will have to be "drive through" since the general trailer caravan public just do not do reverse parking, even when not towing.

Not a contridiction in terms ET, to a certain extent I accept narrow roads after all many a Club site is accessed via a narrow road. If I want to tour the Lake District today I have to stay on campsite paying for facilities I don't need even just for a night stop. Much better to have parking places available so that it is possible to hop from one place to another with ease and if there are passing places on the narrow roads, so much the better.

The Trossachs National Park was another area planning to introduce areas for motorhomes to park overnight. May have even done it by now, it was certainly in their development plans a few years ago.

peedee

Just checked and the Trossachs have indeed done it. Check >here<

Looks like a good model for other tourist areas to follow.

peedee

I think you have hit the nail on the head with your second sentence Peedee, it is up to the tourist areas to do this not the Club. It will always come back to local councils who often do not want to encourage random caravans parking up anywhere if they can help it. They prefer actual sites because they will not have to worry about getting enforcement orders to move on any that think they can stay as long as they wish. 

There is also the issue of Aires not just providing night halts for us but being used by lorry drivers too, how often do we all complain of them using the caravan parking areas now !? 

Apparently we do have an Aire-type facility in Canterbury, not sure how that is going, anyone used it?

Alison

FD, but if the Club does not make it easier and cheaper for motorhome owners to tour I can see a scenario in the not too distant future where less and less owners will have an incentive to join the Club. The rebranding exercise will then have proved pointless.

peedee

Considering the cost of land & the fact that councils are constantly required to provide more housing [amongst other things] I guess providing Aire type stopovers wouldn’t be something on their list especially as many do not even provide M’home parking for visitors to their towns. 

Perhaps the club may consider providing this type of facility at the entrance to any new sites they develop from scratch in the future.  If the location is in a popular area & chargeable overnight stays were limited to 1 or 2 nights it would probably be well used.

Lots of Motorhome Aires in France were set up by local councils - but that won't happen here because local councils are starved of cash for even their mainline operations.

Lots of campsites in France have set up up Aires too - designated cut price Motorhome overnight parking on tarmac with white lines at two metre spacing - but that won't happen here on Club sites because they are locked into six metres spacing. 

So it seems the best that Motorhome owners can hope for is that private enterprise might come to the rescue - allowing overnight parking at pub car parks, sports clubs, garden centres, out of town shopping centres, theme parks, and the like. 

Lots of Motorhome Aires in France were set up by local councils - but that won't happen here because local councils are starved of cash for even their mainline operations.

Not sure that a great outlay is necessary. Many towns have Coach parks. These are under used at night. No need for additional provisions. At Roodee in Chester you go through a barrier and buy a ticket. Other provision is existing public toilets that close around 5pm 

Yes I take your point about councils perhaps tolerating overnight parking in their car parks, but some of the better Aires I see overseas have card operated and metered power bollards, fresh water supplies again with a charge, and proper waste dumping points - and there are set up costs for all that  as well as on going costs for refuse bin emptying.  I can't see UK councils having the funds to go as far as that.