New calls for overnight campervan and motorhome parking in Gloucester to boost tourism in the county have this week been made.
Motorhomes are currently allowed to park at sites owned by Gloucester City Council but must be unoccupied overnight.
Councillor Andrew Gravells (C, Abbeydale) told council leaders Gloucester is in an ideal location near the M5 and surrounded by tourism attractions both in the city and in the nearby Cotswolds and Forest of Dean.
He said: “In the review of the city’s car parks, or even outside of it, will the cabinet member please review what needs to be done to ensure that the city has parking spaces for motorhomes, not just day visitors, but visitors who want to stay overnight too?
“For example, Gloucester is an ideal base for the Cotswolds, and the Forest of Dean and is ideally located near to the M5, and that’s not even listing our historic buildings like the cathedral and other sites.
“We’re missing a trick if we fail to attract the visitors who would visit our city if only we made it more welcoming for motorhomes and their
Performance and resources cabinet member Hannah Norman (C, Quedgeley Fieldcourt) said that the city’s current parking orders only allow vehicles to be unoccupied overnight. She explained in her written response to Cllr Gravells on March 21 that they would need to change the permission of the car park to a campsite.
“Vehicles, including motorhomes, may park overnight with the exception of Westgate Street coach and car park,” she said.
“However, the current parking orders only allow for vehicles to be unoccupied, the council does not currently have overnight parking availability where individual can stay in their vehicles.
“To enable motorhomes to be occupied in our car parks overnight we would need to change permissions from a car park to a campsite and this would require additional planning approvals and a change to the car park orders.”
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2 comments
Sadly we read that Cllr Hannah Norman has NO understanding of what would be required for ‘ overnight sleeping’ being allowed in Council Car Parks, –
“To enable motorhomes to be occupied in our car parks overnight we would need to change permissions from a car park to a campsite and this would require additional planning approvals and a change to the car park orders.”
I submitted an email to Hannah Norman, Andrew Gravells, and included the Mayor, Kathy Williams, describing the simple Aire facilities we require.
I shared several documents from CAMpRA, including the report on Wrye Council, Central Car Park in Fleetwood, along the shore, WHERE BETWEEN October 2017 & July 2023, overnight Parking / Sleeping in our mhs has GENERATED just over £65K, (£22K alone in 2022). I also included an image of the Fleetwood Car Park mh signage, stating the regulations in place. – ie. NO CAMPING BEHAVIOUR.
We all know of other GB councils who allow overnight sleeping in their car parks at £5/night, Max 24 or 48hrs, NO return within 72hrs. NO CAMPING BEHAVIOUR ALLOWED.
This is very positive news.
We stayed in Worcester recently, which allows motorhomes to park overnight in the car park next to the racecourse for £4. It even provides large spaces. is a short walk from the town, and there are lovely dog walks along the river.
We stayed a couple of nights and spent a few hundred quid in the town – and wrote to the council to thank them for being so forward thinking!
There were other towns in the area we would have loved to visit, but could not, because there was nowhere to park.