Subject to planning permission, a designated parking place for motorhomes will be trialled by North East Lincolnshire Council in the coming months following approval by councillors, including a change to the current Parking Order, at an environment and transport meeting on Monday 3 April.
Currently, overnight parking of motorhomes is prohibited in all council car parks.
The pilot scheme would see 10 parking spaces, with defined parking areas laid out with wooden logs, created on the southern part of Thrunscoe Land car park in Cleethorpes, specifically the hard-standing area near to the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway. The area would include new post indicators and signs displayed, as well as new parking fees introduced at a proposed £12 for 24 hours, with a maximum stay of 48 hours.
This pilot is designed to stop the unauthorised use of Marine Walk Car Park which has been an ongoing issue for some years. Over the summer of 2021 and 2022, joint enforcement was carried out between the council and Humberside Police to deter motorhome owners from inappropriately or illegally using the car park.
The council has consulted with a number of local authorities to understand how they manage similar parking challenges. A number of local authorities have introduced daytime and overnight parking for motorhomes in their off-street car parks.
With the number of motorhome owners rising in recent years and the provision of suitable car parking in greater demand, this trial would see a facility solely dedicated to accommodating motorhomes for short duration stays and would encourage more visitors to the resort, in turn, contributing to the local economy and enabling a wider contribution to the visitor economy.
To deter the unauthorised encampments at Marine Walk Car Park, a height restrictor, new signs and line markings are set to be installed to prohibit motorhomes from parking. Motorhome users can instead use the new designated overnight parking site on Thrunscoe Land.
Marine Walk Car Park would be open for use for other vehicles, but overnight parking is not permitted. A small charge of £1.50 for 10 hours of parking will be introduced between the hours of 8am and 6pm. A recommendation at the portfolio’s meeting was made to bring a report back to the meeting on Monday 19 June to consider free parking for up to two hours.
North East Lincolnshire Council and its delivery partner Equans have been engaging with nearby businesses, as well as consulting with CAMpRA (Campaign for Real Aires) to seek their views.
CAMpRA is a volunteer group promoting the benefits of this rapidly growing sector that brings year-round tourism to the UK.
Steve Haywood from CAMpRA UK, who fully supports the pilot scheme, said: “The group is very pleased to support this initiative from Cleethorpes, which will not only be welcomed by our groups of 34,000 members, but many of the 400,000 motorcaravans registered in the UK.
“Plus, of course, the increasing number of European visitors who are starting to visit the UK in their motorcaravans to feel welcome.
“Cleethorpes now joins several towns who are recognising the benefits to local businesses by providing simple year-round overnight parking for touring motorcaravans, which is common all over mainland Europe.
“A CAMpRA survey estimates that over £1 billion per year is spent in local businesses by UK motorcaravan owners. We cannot wait to spend some of this money in Cleethorpes. Thank you from CAMpRA members.”
Please note, camper vans may park in regular parking bays in most council car parks but may not remain overnight.
Motorhomes which would not be able to fit into a regular bay, can park during the daytime at Grant Street Car Park, or for up to 48 hours within a designated parking bay on Thrunscoe Land car park. No parking is allowed outside of marked bays to prevent parking on the grassed areas by motorhomes or camper vans on Thrunscoe Land car park. Penalty Charge Notices can be issued for any vehicle observed parking outside of a designated parking bay.
Share this article