Barrow in Furness

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Winks
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Barrow in Furness

Post by Winks »

Visit Barrow have a Webinar scheduled for next Wednesday 24th March as announced on their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/visitbarrow/

I have put on a lengthy comment welcoming the proposed establishment of more CL type sites but pointed them towards Campra.

This my first foray on to the forum but I have had some contact with local a tourist office.See what comes ...
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Re: Barrow in Furness

Post by Grey Wanderer »

Look on CAMpRA website at Cumbria Coastal Tour. Barrow are very much on board with this. I have been communicating since last October with Sandra Barnes who working for Deputy Leader Lee Roberts has been liaising with Cumbria Tourism and west coast District Councils on a Coastal Tour and trying to establish places for motorhomes to stay overnight. They are encouraging local businesses to accommodate motorhomes. Also Barrow are trying to establish two motorhome overnight parking areas plus services on Walney Island.

I don’t think the other districts are doing very much by way of overnight parking areas, but they too are having a webinar for local businesses. They are relying mainly on increasing capacity through more certified sites.

The part of the coast where we perhaps need to be more active ourselves is Barrow to Arnside. South Lakes Council is not collaborating with the other councils and seems somewhat anti-motorhomes except in campsites. I suspect some adverse influence is in play from leisure businesses. Thus I think there is little or no effort going into persuading businesses in this area.
I have contacted many businesses along this coast with not a single reply.

Are you local to Barrow?
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Re: Barrow in Furness

Post by Winks »

Yes, I live on Walney.

My contacts so far have been with someone at The Forum and someone at the NaN Tait. The forum contact has replied on email and she was compiling a list of possible spots such as sports clubs etc. Probably mirrors your list, which I have seen somewhere( on here? ).

The Nan Tait are developing the old loo building at Sandy Gap and replied saying the provision of water and loo tip off would not be possible because of the type of drainage they have, even though the annual fair connects up to the water and presumably disposed of toilet waste into a manhole outside the building.

Would it be worth a member sitting in on that Webinar if permitted?

Cheers
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Re: Barrow in Furness

Post by Steve »

Yes to the webinar, Ian Grey Wanderer is involved with Cumbria and in discussions with Barrow in Furness.
Steve - CAMpRA Leadership Team
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Re: Barrow in Furness

Post by Grey Wanderer »

I sat in on the one with Allerdale, Cumbria Tourism and LDNP, it was useful to see what was going on but the agenda was more them giving information rather than an opportunity to contribute. Since you are on the doorstep would you like to get involved? Would you be able to get an invite through your contacts. If not I could perhaps try through Sandra Baines at BBC. It would be good to let them see we have local members and support. Could you contact me by PM?
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Re: Barrow in Furness

Post by Winks »

I have submitted a question to the organiser and asked about sitting in as an observer. I guess they will consult with the hosts and tell me one way or the other.
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Re: Barrow in Furness

Post by Grey Wanderer »

Was there any explanation of why they thought the drainage at Sandy Gap would be unsuitable? If there really is a good reason they could look at provision elsewhere in town, any location with suitable drainage and vehicular access should be ok. Other public toilets, council depot, baths, garage, car wash, local sewage station are all possibilities, and are typical of places used in Europe. CDP doesn’t have to be at or near Aire. Vans are mobile.
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Re: Barrow in Furness

Post by Winks »

Got this from the webinar hosts yesterday.

Hi Harold,

You are welcome to sit in.

Regards

Gemma

Gemma Procter
Digital Marketing Manager
Tel:01539 822222
My normal working hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:00-2:00

I am content to sit in on the webinar, although I am still a little scarred from too many corporate ''events'' from my days with BT. Probably best to sit quietly in the corner and speak when I'm spoken to.

Regarding Sandy gap, I have this from early December

Harold: I apologise for the delay in replying.
It would be great if there were facilities on the island for motorhomes.
At Sandy Gap we're some way off getting finished.
We have a metred supply of water but we are looking to eventually make a case for getting something sorted for the sometimes circus site: in the last few years there has been illegal use of fire hydrants (hence the hoses you saw!). It would be good to have proper infrastructure for fairs and other users closer to the Biggar Bank Road junction.
With regard to waste we have an original soakaway that would not now be able to be installed; we are improving it with a bio tertiary system but our licence only allows for small café use equivalent to a 3 bed house. To increase this we would then have to apply for a new licence and after the struggle to get to the current system regularised this would be impossible.
We have previously advocated for overnights stays on the low impact farm model on Walney and we can identify this in a green place plan for Walney that we will be starting in the New Year.
I am sorry not to be able to help instantly,
Charlie MacKeith

From: harold windle <haroldwindle@icloud.com>
Subject: Water and waste facilities at Sandy Gap
Date: 25 November 2020 at 18:08:27 GMT
To: maddi@sandygap.co.uk

Good Evening

I’m contacting you with view to the provision of waste disposal and fresh water services for visiting motorhome users.

During the Covid pandemic we have been on Biggar Bank / Sandy Gap a few times through the day with our van, although we only live on Ocean Road. On more than one occasion I have spoken to people in visiting motorhomes, families and couples, who have expressed a lot of interest in the island and in some cases have stayed for the odd night. This got me thinking about the lack of provision for visitors of this type, which are very commonplace all over Europe. There are about 250,000 motorhomes registered in the UK, most of which owned by older folk who are both time and cash rich and many of whom are subscribers to a campaigning group called CAMPRA (Campaign for real aires) which is all about establishing a network of these services. There is a lot of information about the establishment and benefits, along with case studies from existing sites under the resources tab on the website https://campra.org.uk which are freely available for anyone to use.

I was out for a walk today and passed the building and noticed it was lit up for work inside, so I thought I’d get in touch because I remember seeing water supply pipes going across to the vans when the fair was set up down there.Please take a few minutes to read some of the material on the link and don’t hesitate to contact me for any further assistance on 07851 947990 or by email.

Regards

Harold Windle
Winks
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Re: Barrow in Furness

Post by Winks »

Got the webinar ticket sorted and submitted the following as a question for the organisers ...

I have requested to sit in on the webinar in casual representative of the CaMPRA.org group which is encouraging the development of overnight parking (not camping) and facilities for the managing of water and waste with regard to motorhome touring. These arrangements are common throughout Europe and bring business to local shops and services. Will the people looking to establish Certificated Sites please consider access to water and waste provision for motorhome community in return for an agreed fee?

Just have to work out how to join the event now.
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Recording of webinar 24th March

Post by Winks »

The kink for the complete webinar I sat in on is now available on Youtube.

https://youtu.be/Cqhd3iQx6w4

Cheers

Harold Windle
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