Aires for the UK

[sambukashot]

This is a new thread so not to hijack the petition thread that's going on.

Thinking about the need for motorhome stopover areas around the UK, here is my idea to get things started, all feedback welcome!

I will create and build a new website that simply explains an "aires type stopover" including the benefits it can bring to local areas in need of new tourism, explain what an aire is, what an aire should include in the way of water/waste services, a guide on how much you charge for it's use, a rules & regulations guide for the aires public use, best places to build such an aire in your area and the signage that's needed to advertise it properly.

Then we can point local councils to that website address so they can get a better understanding of what motorhome tourism is all about.

Maybe it is just a case they have not built anything as they do not know how these things work? how would they know what an "aire" is unless they have been to one themselves. 

At least a website would let them find out all the relevent information first hand for themselves and it would only take one council to built the first and then others will soon follow :)

What do you think?

[bigal]

Sounds like a good idea to me Matt I only wish I had your expertise. It should create interest if it is properly supported by Motorhomers approaching their council tourism departments! B-)

[Tracker]

Well done - I applaud your efforts and I wish you well - but I think there is more to it than that.

 

Not wishing to be negative but being realistic, councils as a rule do not see any benefit from nomadic tourists here today gone tomorrow and their perception is that we bring all our own food, leave all our rubbish and spend and contribute nothing. All too often their perception of a motorhome has more to do with 'travellers' in clapped out coaches than £50,000 self propelled self contained palaces on wheels.

 

They also live in fear of the Aires being occupied by so called 'minority' groups purporting to be 'gypsies' and all the associated problems and costs of getting them off, cleaning up after them and the bad press for 'persecution' of these freeloaders and wasters.

 

In a nutshell - it just ain't worth their hassle for the perceived limited benefits.

 

And these I think are the issues that need to be tackled before anything good will happen.

[sambukashot]

Thats right bigal, I am thinking the website would be like a point of reference for people to point their local councils to, at least then they could read all about the concept and print off any information they need.

[sambukashot]

Tracker - 2013-05-24 4:52 PMWell done - I applaud your efforts and I wish you well - but I think there is more to it than that.Councils as a rule do not see any benefit from nomadic tourists here today gone tomorrow and their perception is that we bring all our own food, leave all our rubbish and spend and contribute nothing. All too often their perception of a motorhome has more to do with 'travellers' in clapped out coaches than £50,000 self propelled self contained palaces on wheels.They also live in fear of the Aires being occupied by so called 'minority' groups purporting to be 'gypsies' and all the associated problems and costs of getting them off, cleaning up after them and the bad press for 'persecution' of these freeloaders and wasters.In a nutshell - it just ain't worth the hassle for the perceived limited benefits.

Tracker, where do you get all this from? how do you know what councillers think?

The idea i am proposing is to lay out the benefits of building an aire in their town/village/city and with signage advice that indicates the maximum time limit for stopovers to cover such events, let them have all the facts and they can decide if it's for them, who knows some councils might have already thought of building an aire in the past but just do not understand how they work or the benifits they can bring to their community or the concerns of travellers taking over the place, at least with a point of reference like the website i am proposing they can get all the information and facts and decide for themselves.

[AliB]

Excellent idea. However, I strongly advise you find a new name and not use the french word Aire

 

The word aire is used in french for many different types of parking places, Aire de Service etc.

 

Its full name is Aire de Camping car. Would a council understand our abbreviated slang?

 

You probably have a about 15 seconds to get your topic across to your audience. If they don't understand the subject they will move on to the next item on their agenda.

 

A couple of suggestions:

 

Night Stop

Night park

Camper Stop.

 

Let's have some more suggestions.

 

[sambukashot]

Excellent idea. However, I strongly advise you find a new name and not use the french word Aire

I was thinkng the exact same thing!

Keep those suggestions coming, we would need a UK style name that hits the spot first time and "does what it says on the tin"

[AliB]

 

A few more suggestions

 

Camper Base

Motorhome Rest Place

 

Many more needed.

[BGD]

Motorhome Parking?

 

Motorhome Stopover?

 

 

 

 

[Barryd999]

Its a good idea. Not one thats been used before. There have been many campaigners, letters and this that and the other but if you can visually present something then you may well have something there.

 

Clearly not all councils are anti Aire. Hawick and Lytham st Annes have set up Aires as have one or two others. there are a couple in Northern Ireland I think as well. In fact I would get some images of some of the existing UK Aires on the website as well. Paint a picture of some success stories. Its maybe early days but some feedback from the people who run these Aires would be good. Millers field in Ambleside is a huge success although its not strictly an Aire.

 

Some statistics on just how much motorhomers spend away from the UK might be useful. To give you an example last summer we were away six months abroad and spent roughly £6K. All of it overseas. Thats just me.

 

Good luck. Let me know if you want any photos although you seem to have plenty of your own! :-D

 

EDIT: Oh yes. I agree Aires is not a good word. Camper Stop says it all

[crinklystarfish]

Are you aware of the work of Graham Hadfield?

 

What Graham doesn't know about local government's interaction with motorhomers probably isn't worth knowing.

 

http://www.motorhomeparking.co.uk/

[Guest pelmetman]

24hr camper stop

 

48hr camper stop

 

That way there's no ambiguity for our tinker friends ;-)

[sambukashot]

Good ideas Barry, the more ideas/suggestions everyone posts the better it is for me to design and build the website, this helps me with the layout and features it will need to make it work.

like the name suggestions as well...

[Tracker]

sambukashot - 2013-05-24 5:07 PM

where do you get all this from? how do you know what councillers think?

 

Several years ago I, along with quite a few others, tried to support Dawn Rogers to set up an Aire in Pembrokeshire where we lived at the time.

I wrote to the planning department in support and spoke with a couple of councilors at the time and that was their response.

One of them had never seen inside a motorhome and I showed her our A/S Talisman at the time and explained how the loo and water tanks worked which came as something of a surprise to her but no amount of words would convince her and her allies that it was a good idea and would encourage visitors with money in their pockets into the area.

The proposed site was convenient for the A40/477 as I recall and not close to homes but nevertheless local 'residents' petitioned the council and the whole idea was rejected twice by planners and again at appeal at which point Dawn gave up as I recall.

We moved away since and as we no longer holiday in the UK and I lack the expertise and now I also lack the motivation to become too involved again.

This was one of the several threads running at the time.

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Aire-de-Service-in-Pembrokeshire/4436/

[Guest JudgeMental]

they will need convincing with a proper business plan and some examples from europe..if there are any that prove a financial advantage

[Guest JudgeMental]

crinklystarfish - 2013-05-24 5:46 PM

 

Are you aware of the work of Graham Hadfield?

 

What Graham doesn't know about local government's interaction with motorhomers probably isn't worth knowing.

 

http://www.motorhomeparking.co.uk/

 

Have seen this many times but it really needs an upgrade, as very hard to follow (at least with my eyesight) and to much out of date information..Perhaps he needs help...

 

edit: in fact site is being closed so maybe someone could talk to him...

[Guest pelmetman]

I'm well aware that to setup an aires network in the UK has been tried several times over the years *-)..................but maybe now the the country is up to its neck in debt, and our councils are looking around for anything to fund their pensions *-)................perhaps now is the time to strike >:-)

[crinklystarfish]

Yeah Judge, Graham got fed up of banging his head against the various walls.

 

He is though incredibly knowledgeable and is very conversant with the working of LAs.

 

I think the idea of a website based resource to which councils could refer is a good one and was merely proposing that Graham's work and knowledge be drawn upon.

 

He's undoubtedly amongst the most clued-up people regarding local authority based stopovers for motorhomes in the UK.

[maggyd]

sambukashot - 2013-05-24 5:51 PM

Good ideas Barry, the more ideas/suggestions everyone posts the better it is for me to design and build the website, this helps me with the layout and features it will need to make it work.

like the name suggestions as well...

And I would make it clear to the Councils that Motor- homers are willing to pay a parking charge as well as for the facilities ie; water and electric and dumping if it was laid on, also stressing that a 24/48 max stay .If they realize that lots of visitors from abroad are requesting these places so they can tour our Country, surely they can see the opportunities for towns villages etc; that are closing shops piece meal I know that near us Redcar has more boarded up shops and charity shops than open! Ive never seen as many on our travels abroad.If these places knew they could advertise in publications like Bord Atlas or a All the Aires U.K Im sure they would be more enthusiastic. I have heard that the Clubs arent keen on the idea of Aires ! they cant see that people use a mix of the two. We are in the Common Market why they havent had something to say on the matter beats me :-S unless they are glad that we are all spending our money in France/Germany etc;

[Tracker]

David Lloyd was successful in getting an Aire at Guisborough some years back and he too is a source of useful info.

 

He, along with Graham Hadfield, used to be a regular on here but neither of them has been seen or heard from for quite a while now.

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/First-Municipal-Aire/4457/

[Tracker]

David Lloyd was successful in getting an Aire at Guisborough some years back and he too is a source of useful info.

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/First-Municipal-Aire/4457/

 

David still appears on here from time to time but is much less active than before.

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/view-profile.asp?uid=200

 

 

Graham Hadfield also used to be a regular on here but has been seen or heard from for a while now.

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/view-profile.asp?action=view&uid=1477

 

 

 

[sambukashot]

Ok so there are lots of posts to read from the past "success & failures" and that is a great help, but i am proposing a website resource that explains a "motorhome aires" for the UK, from this people can point to it and others interested can understand what it is all about and then take something from it.

Still need more suggestions for a good name so i can get started.

France has: Aires de Service

Germany has: Stellplatz

Spain has : Area de Autocaravanas

Italy has: Aree di Sosta

UK has: ???

[Tracker]

Camperstops?

 

Campervan Areas?

 

Motorhome Stopovers?

 

 

 

 

[RogerC]

Whilst I applaud your idea, I've only speed read the replies..... I really do think it's a non starter.  Local/Regional councils, even if they like the idea will be up against local opposition to these 'Aires' on the grounds that it will encourage 'travellers' to their area and we all know how disruptive and damaging they can be......not to mention the usual spate of thefts that accompany their arrival.  I'm sorry but I just can't see many Councils wanting to provide a 'potential' magnet for this potential problem.  In the event of 'travellers' arriving it will, as has been seen in the past a very costly and lengthy exercise to get them off the site.

[mondo]

Whilst I applaud your tenacity to form a website and other info will these sort of overnight Motorhome stopovers alienate the tuggers out there..we know the motorhome fraternity are very self sufficient..but the tuggers out there will start lobbying for use of these "Aires Type" stopovers...

 

As for a name...Motorhome Stops!!