Aires in the UK

I could not see that on the website K. 

Might be better to charge £14 to overnight rather than £7 and give some elbow room in my opinion. After all the price does include bus tickets for up to 6 people

I saw it described on a MH web site for finding stopping places where those using a stopping place give details of the facilities.

This this type of space is quite common on or outside some ordinary sites abroad, just about enough room to get the door open!  

 One of the things i cannot understand,is how they are allowed to be "pitched so close to each other when doing overnight? stops ,and would i expect useing gas for  heating and cooking ,when if the was one of the clubs or a commercial site would not legally?  be allowed to be that close

This this type of space is quite common on or outside some ordinary sites abroad, just about enough room to get the door open!

Even on the one we used in a car park we were not as close as those in the aerial shot. Personally although I would use something like that for parking, I wouldn't be interested in using it overnight, except in an emergency. I like the concept of Aires but not being able to shake your neighbours hand out of the window. I agree with JVB, how is it legal?

Same thing could be happening in Minehead soon! 

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2020-08-07/minehead-mayor-says-locals-are-fed-up-with-motorhome-owners-who-abuse-overnight-free-parking

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No idea  about legality In UK, they must realise that people use the spaces overnight?  Or are they not supposed to be sleeping?

Abroad, different countries, different rules.  We were on a site in Ypres that had MH pitches where you could just open the door, and in Switzerland outfits only need to be 50cm apart.  And from  what we have seen on sites in Germany and Austria, it must be pretty much the same!  Sweden too.  Nobody seems to bother much how close outfits are over most of Europe.

Only place we have seen spacing  instructions was on a site in Belgium.

I was meaning legal here in U.K. Perhaps the authorities just turn a blind eye. Which will be fine until there is an incident, then it will hit the fan.

I realise other countries means other rules.  The Aires we stopped on in France were great. I think if our first Aire was of the type you described, it would have put us off the concept entirely.

Just caught a snippet of an interview on the Scottish news, presumably about the same problem on the NC500 and in the National Parks up here.  It sounded like some people are starting to see sense,  realising that if you want the tourists you need the infrastructure, calling for more amenities, especially toilets.

The lack of provision of public toilets at popular locations  all over Scotland, probably all over UK, is really bad.  And where there are toilets, dump facilities and water could be made available too.

I would not say that public toilet provision in the rest of Europe, outside of towns, is that great either, but the provision of facilities for dumping waste and taking on water is much better.

 

The fact that many owners are not taking the chance to cross the channel this year is bringing the problem of the lack of facilities to a head in many areas. The local authorities need to make up there mind  whether they want the tourist pound or do they really want to drive them away to tour else where.

Spacing is not really an issue for me if you are only night stopping after all it is only really parking rather than camping.

peedee