Plans have been submitted for an overnight campervan parking trial in Amble, Northumberland.
The scheme would allow eight motorhomes to park overnight at Beadnell, with six at Bamburgh and six at Amble Braid.
There are public toilets at Beadnell and temporary portable toilets at Bamburgh but no facilities at Amble Braid.
If approved, the sites would operate as ‘aires’ and which means only short stays will be permitted and camping equipment such as tables, chairs, awnings and barbecues would not be allowed.
Northumberland County Council identified the potential site in response to the growing popularity of motorhome and campervans for visits to Northumberland since the Covid pandemic.
Related: Gwynedd Council car parks could soon allow overnight stopovers for campervans
In its application, the council said: “We have considered all of our coastal car parks and have identified locations where it would be acceptable to have a self-contained overnight stay where people basically sleep in the vehicle but don’t have items of equipment outside,’ the council reports in its application.
“Undertaking this pilot outside of the busy summer months will allow us to review the viability of the project on a smaller scale and allow for any improvements to the process as we progress.
“A formal review of the operation of the pilot scheme will be undertaken in advance of spring 2022 to assess the feasibility of continuing and expanding the trial during the summer months.”
Last month, applications seeking permission for the overnight use of Bamburgh’s main car park and Beadnell’s overflow car park were submitted.
Related: Campaign for Real Aires aims to relieve pressures of UK’s staycation boom
While neither parish council objected and no concerns were raised by statutory consultees, Bamburgh resident Jill Potier Godinho claims it will lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour and litter and suggests the edge of village links car park would be more suitable.
In a letter of objection, she wrote: “Although overnight night stays are currently not allowed in camper vans, a small proportion do stay most nights and the police are powerless to make them move as the drivers simply say they are under the influence of alcohol.
“The problem with overnight night stays, essentially making a camp site in the middle of a village is the noise made at all times of the night whilst they ‘party’ in the car park.”
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1 comment
It’s great to see more and more councils look at what they can do to encourage motorhome stopovers. I fear these trials may not get past the trial stage though. It’s the few that’ll ruin it for us all sadly.