Campaign for Real Aires UK - CAMpRA

The borders events Centre, also known as Springwood showground is not, at present, open to anyone. It normally hosts rallies, dog shows etc. It is not open as a normal campsite.

I have just heard from the Borders Events Centre that they are working on increasing caravan usage on the site and our information has been passed to the trustees.

Off the back of the Facebook post, I contacted my local councillor and got a very positive reply, also noting that the signs were erected following complaints from local campsite owners. He has promised a review and believes that there are options for the Scottish Borders.

"Many thanks for your email. On doing some further investigation, motorhomes have not been allowed to park in SBC car parks for some time. I think the ban has been in place since 2017/18 and it came about due to representations from caravan site owners that we should be encouraging motorhome users to use the local facilities that operators have invested in.

At the moment, there is also the added complication of Covid-19 and encouraging people to stay in car parks overnight is not something the Council would welcome just now.

However, I have done some further reading on the approach that other local authorities take and I would agree that the Council should maybe look again at its current policy and consider amending this.

At this moment in time a policy review is not an option as there is simply not the staffing resource to carry such a review out due to the pressures of responding to Covid and keeping existing services operational. I would propose that later in the year when we get through the worst of Covid and get on to a more even keel, that a policy review can be looked at and if other Council colleagues agree, hopefully we can start to have a look at this issue properly in the Autumn.

Kind regards
David"

hcorcoran wrote: ↑Sun Jan 03, 2021 7:40 pm Jedburgh is a particularly good town to look into. Always had plenty of Motorhomes in the car park but no idea if they allowed overnight in the past. The town is definitely desperate for more trade and has so much to see - castle, abbey, Mary Queen of Scots house to name but a few and right on the main Newcastle to Edinburgh route. I'd also say Langholm, Kelso, Duns and Coldstream.

Yes, they did allow Overnight Parking in the past. Never had any problems.

All of those are included on the Scottish Borders Tour. The Event Centre at Kelso is currently in for planning permission to act as a publicly accessible normal campsite.