Why we could be heading for a storm in a caravan

THERE’S a storm brewing this summer. And I’m not talking about the weather, I’m talking about a storm of controversy. As soon as the latest lockdown restrictions lift enough – and we all hope that will be April 12 – thousands and thousands of people who own caravans, motorhomes and self-contained campervans will be rushing out on holiday.

As soon as Boris Johnson unveiled his road map out of lockdown, campsites started taking bookings, and most are now booked solid throughout the summer months.

During the pandemic, sales of motorhomes and campervans have reached record highs.

Manufacturers and dealers have struggled to keep up with demand, and there’s now a flotilla of new owners stocking up, ready to head off on their spring and summer holidays.

And the owners who might have fancied heading abroad in their motorhomes and campervans this summer will doubtless be wary of dynamic travel restrictions - so they’ll probably opt for a “staycation” this year.

All this will add up to huge pressure being placed on the nation’s beauty spots as this new breed of tourist joins more than 350,000 existing motorhome and campervan owners in a rush to that picturesque parking place. With campsites already overflowing, there’s going to be a new pandemic of motorhomes and campervans pitching up in car parks, laybys and on roadsides.

I’m a motorhome owner, and I have been for nearly a decade. As a rule, I tend to avoid campsites and I prefer to find quiet, out-of-the-way places to “wild camp”. (Which means nothing more than parking up off-grid).

The vast majority of my fellow off-grid enthusiasts do this without causing a problem – they’re probably not even noticed – but this year we’ll be heading out mobhanded. Clashes will occur between owners, locals, and councils, and this topic will be all over the headlines by late spring, I can guarantee that.

And who’s to blame? Predictably, I’m reluctant to accept any liability as a motorhome owner. If we can’t get into campsites and, given how much prices have been artificially increased already, we can’t afford campsites, then what choice do we have if we want to go on a welldeserved getaway?

I won’t blame locals, either. I wouldn’t want a row of motorhomes and campervans parked up in front of my house and I can understand why they won’t.

The blame, I’m afraid, lies squarely with landowners and local authorities. Councils, in particular, own vast swathes of land set up for parking which, by day, motorhomes and campervans are welcomed on to with open arms. By night, we could be tucked away on these plots of land in our self-contained vehicles not bothering anyone. But we’re usually turned away by pointless restrictions.

We’re not asking for much. Just a reasonably level car park is fine. We’re happy to pay an overnight fee in exchange for our few metres of tarmac, grass, or gravel, and we will of course agree to move on the next day before the hordes arrive. What’s more, a study last year found that motorhome owners collectively spend the best part of a billion pounds a year in local shops, pubs restaurants and tourist attractions if they’re able to park up overnight within a reasonable distance. This lucrative economic boost is literally being ignored at the moment.

By driving motorhomes and campervans away from these car parks, by leaving them empty overnight, by not providing any alternative other than ignorantly mumbling some sort of “should be on a campsite” nonsense, councils are shifting the vehicles directly into the controversial hotspots.

So it’s a massive problem with a simple solution. Let’s hope this year’s inevitable onslaught finally leads to councils waking up and seizing the opportunity to change things for the better.

Thousands of people who own caravans, motorhomes and selfcontained campervans will be rushing out on holiday.