Whitby update - local knowledge / advice please

[Sandie Weeks]

I've always avoided Whitby, Scarborough etc. since SBC's anti-motorhome campaign of about 12 years ago.
I recently visited just to try out my new van. A friend said Whitby Abbey car park no longer had restrictions, so I went with them. I read every line on the signage, checked for any signs that a sign may have been removed, but no-where was there any indication that overnight stays were prohibited. Locals will know that SBC got around the problem of difficulty of enforcement by simply banning motorhomes from 11pm to 7am. No such signage at the Abbey. So, with some trepidation I bought a 24 hour ticket. This was late September, charges applied, about 10 vans were there. Early next morning the traffic warden was checking tickets. He looked at mine, gave a little wave when he saw me watching and went on his way.
In the last few days there's been a lot of discussion on a free parking for motorhomes Facebook page about this car park. There are no charges November- March and apparently this has resulted in rather too many people using it. Someone said that height barriers have been installed, but it seems that they have always been there, but not used. The whole discussion became a bit acrimonious with people accusing others of jeopardising the use of the car park by flouting the rules, giving motorhomes a bad name etc., and general confusion about what the "rules" actually are. There's agreement that there is no signage at all in the car park that prohibits overnight parking, sleeping etc.. However, the (now) North Yorkshire Council website car park information states "No one can use any part of a parking place or park any vehicle in a parking place for the purposes of sleeping, camping or cooking", which seems to me to be just a casual nod to the Caravan sites Control and Development act.
So, what exactly is the law here? Given that there is no signage at the site, and no evidence that such signage has been deliberately removed. The traffic warden was unconcerned, merely checking that people had paid. Other car parks retain their 11pm to 7am restrictions. Could I have been ticketed for sleeping overnight even though there was no signage to that effect? Can councils expect people to check on line for any further restrictions? Any observations or information from locals, or anyone been in discussion with North Yorkshire Council recently and can give any insight?

[Eddiey]

Hi sandie,
No doubt one of our members who lives closer than me and with more knowledge of the the area will answer you shortly. We did visit sometime ago and found that area fairly unfriendly towards MHs.

[Jmick]

Unfortunately, the NYC website has a specific Abbey Headland Car Park webpage which cites the restrictions on motorhomes/overnight sleeping in vehicles etc (link at end of this message). I've been banging my head against a brick wall for some years with the last County Council, both Whitby and Scarborough Councils and the local MP re all motorhome restrictions in these specific areas - all to no avail. In light of the fact that NYC now covers all boroughs under their umbrella, I'm amazed that they haven't tried to prohibit Skipton, Boroughbridge, Settle etc from officially allowing motorhome & campervan overnight sleeping/parking. Hopefully, by these small NY towns retaining their motorhome parking facilities, this may lead to NYC adopting this approach in other towns too? (I'm aware that one of the CAMpRA team is in contact with a Helmsley Councillor re updates to the previous Helmsley motorhome overnight parking facility, which was rescinded some time ago.)

It's all just so frustrating that this particular Council just does not seem to see the benefits of motorhome owners' cash being spent (all year round!) in their resorts, villages, towns and cities. I for one would not mind paying a reasonable fee to park overnight in designated areas. I'm sure local shops, pubs and attractions would be grateful for all contributions to their economy too, during this awful recession/slump.

Anyway, fingers crossed for the future. In the meantime, we'll be visiting pub stops in North Yorkshire plus other UK areas where they seem to be more forward-thinking regarding motorhome and campervan owners (Devon, Scotland, and, more recently, parts of Wales etc)

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/roads-par ... ark-whitby

[Sandie Weeks]

Thanks for the response. As I mentioned in my post, I am aware of the restrictions posted on the NYC website. I've also been frustrated for many years regarding the attitude of Scarborough Borough Council, and so have avoided the area. That's why I was surprised when a friend said there were now no restrictions at the Abbey, and indeed there are none posted at the car park itself. Several vans stayed over when I was there (September- so charges applied). The traffic warden checked people's tickets early next morning and did not express any concern that people had been there overnight. He was quite cheerful on his rounds. Hence I am asking whether, despite what it says on their website, NYC are taking a more relaxed attitude. I can understand that they may not wish to remove the wording on the website as they don't wish to be seen to be expressly permitting overnight stays, which would probably strictly require a TRO. Not a big deal, but it requires a formal process, which they may not wish to undertake for fear of rattling the cages of those who have always objected to motorhomes. (I understand that there's at least one campsite owner on the council, or was, in the days of SBC). I was wondering, though, whether they are simply turning a blind eye given the revenues generated, and the fact that it's outside of town and therefore not likely to antagonise the B&B and campsite owners. We all know, of course, that there's not a question of competition here, but getting that message across is not easy.

Sandie

[Jmick]

Yeah - difficult one isn't it. Once you know that their website has the 'rules', it's hard to forget their existence isn't it. We're sick of feeling like pariahs because we want to visit places in our motorhome - fearing 'the knock' and the upset it can cause. That's why we'd just rather go to places that are openly welcoming - in writing via signage. Hopefully NYC will come down off the fence on our side in the near future .

[Sandie Weeks]

I completely agree.
For me, it's doubly galling. From the age of 21 to 50 I rode a motorcycle. Initially, my husband and I had a 250cc and 200cc bikes. We were astonished to find that many campsites wouldn't accept motorcyclists (and when they did, they charged for two vehicles, even though we only had a tiny tent and took up less space overall than a car), and many pubs had "no motorcycles" signs. I belonged to a long-established women's motorcycle club. We were hardly hell's angels! That abated somewhat in the late 1980s, early 1990s. Now that I'm old and"respectable" I'm still an outcast.... I'm obviously making dubious lifestyle choices

[Madwitch]

Scarborough BC are not quite as anti-motorhome as they used to be. Motorhome parking is permitted on Marine Drive, North Bay and they have even now installed a free-to-use CDP point (think there may also be fresh water there). Parking is free until 1 March, at which point each space occupied needs to be paid for at £9 per day. This will no doubt deter some of the inconsiderate who have parked across 2,3 or even 4 bays over the winter. I also believe that Whitby BC have installed a CDP/water point somewhere up near the marina - I haven't had the opportunity to check it out yet though.

[Chris M]

So we had a night here at New Year. Came back today and there seems to be No Motorhome signs around the place. Are these new or did I just not see them last time? We've made plans based on it being available and have paid for 24hr. We'll see what the morning brings!

[Sandie Weeks]

What exactly do the signs say? The ones in other car parks are quite specific and say no motorhomes between 11pm and 7 am. They have been in place for years. I always thought the Abbey was the same, but I visited in September last year and there were none there. I am paranoid about getting ticketed, so made a particular point of looking around the whole car park.
Please keep us updated.

[Chris M]

Attached is the signage. We didn't get a ticket and have paid for another 24hr. I subsequently sent a complaint to North Yorkshire County Council and copied it to one of the local councillors. I have suggested creating a limited number of motorhome spaces rather than a blanket ban, as happens in the rest of NYCC. Can't imagine it'll get any traction but if there's any updates I'll post. Would I risk it again? Don't know, there are plenty of other options along the coast and, ironically, in North Yorkshire, without the jeopardy.