Guisborough overnight withdrawn

[GJH]

I've received information that the overnight stop facility at Guisborough has been withdrawn after the 18 month trial period. The decision to end the experiment was made after the review showed that just 2 motorhomes had used the facility over the whole 18 months (based on tickets bought).

The experiment was the result of a lot of hard work put in by a Guisborough resident and a number of council members and officers. It is a great pity that their efforts have gone unrewarded by motorhome owners but it appears to be another indication that there is no general demand for aire type facilities in this country.

 

[scotjimland]

You may well be correct Graham, but personally I don't think 18 months was long enough for 'word to get out' .. how much publicity did it get and was there an on going cost to keeping the facility open?

Was it published in any aires books or motorhome publications, I can hardly see the CC or CCC making an effort to advertise.. if it's not known about, it won't be used...

Seems a shame that the council to put that much effort into it then the pug after such a short trial.. :Sad:

Or perhaps because they knew people were using but not paying ?

 

[spannermanwigan]

You may well be correct Graham, but personally I don't think 18 months was long enough for 'word to get out' .. how much publicity did it get and was there an on going cost to keeping the facility open?

Was it published in any aires books or motorhome publications, I can hardly see the CC or CCC making an effort to advertise.. if it's not known about, it won't be used...

Seems a shame that the council to put that much effort into it then the pug after such a short trial.. :Sad:

Or perhaps because they knew people were using but not paying ?

googled it . could not find any reference to it except this one. was not well advertised or im certain if the charges and facilities had been good ,it would have been well supported to set an example to other authorities.:Cool::Cool:

 

[hilldweller]

The experiment was the result of a lot of hard work put in by a Guisborough resident and a number of council members and officers. It is a great pity that their efforts have gone unrewarded.

Well yes and no. If no-one wants to actually stop there it's a problem.

I didn't even know where it is but now I look I've got to wonder why anyone would stop there, it's on a road from nowhere to nowhere. Close to the coast so probably much better places to stay.

It might be a bit like PC equality problems, like is it illegal to discriminate against blind people for a job as an art critic.

 

[GJH]

It was always an 18 month trial Jim and, yes, it was publicised in the motorhome magazines, on-line forums and by the council. Where else is there to publicise a facility like that?

I wouldn't expect the CC or CCC to make any effort to advertise it because they aren't in that game and nor should we expect them to be.

I'm more or less totally convinced (given responses to petitions and threads on forums etc) that only a tiny minority of UK motorhome owners really want aire type facilities and they only want them in convenient places for stops en route (e.g. like Canterbury) or at places which are established holiday destinations (rather than "ordinary" market towns like Guisborough). That is especially the case when paying a small fee is involved.

It's a pity but we have to face reality.

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[bungy]

location, location, location

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:{referrer:source}&rlz=1I7SUNC_en&q=+54.53411,-1.05117&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

My sister lives about a 10mins walk from here, and ive got to be honest, not a place id want to spend a night.oh:

Interestingly, from the satelitte image it looks like there are 2 vans there, maybe they decided not to stay the night either

 

[bungy]

I didn't even know where it is but now I look I've got to wonder why anyone would stop there, it's on a road from nowhere to nowhere. Close to the coast so probably much better places to stay.
.

Not a bad little place to be fair - gets a bit rowdy in some parts on a weekend (quite amusing to watch to be honest!!) and has a pretty good Chinese on the high street. and good access to some stunning scenery and walks etc

Ideal for a stopover if your doing the north yorks moors area - but, its the location of the aire that probably knobbled it

Did intend to stay there myself once for a family get together at my sisters, not long after it opened i think, but ended up on my sisters drive..after applying the aires rule - if one of you is not comfortable then move on!!

 

[olley]

I think you may be right Graham, while we may be happy to stay on Aires abroad, we aren't so keen in this country, perhaps we perceive the european ones as being safer? There is some justification for this, as I know overnight parking allowed by the council in Ipswich, is not in an area I would wish to park my van overnight.

Ian

 

[GJH]

Admittedly, Fountain Street car park is not the most ideal location for staying overnight (though having heard of people being happy to stay on industrial estates I am sure it's not the worst). However, it is the only one available in Guisborough of the appropriate standard.

Unlike all the other car parks there, which (like most in the majority of the country) were constructed to a standard for coping with the wear & tear of usage by cars only, Fountain Street was constructed as a stopping off place for coaches taking people to and from the coast. It is, therefore, capable of taking heavier vehicles without damage.

As an interesting contrast I have just been informed that overnighting by motorhomes is no longer to be allowed at Upton-on-Severn in Malvern Hills DC. It has been tolerated for a few years at the Hanley Road car park, but the council has now said that as too many motorhomes were using it they would now be enforcing the Parking Order which prohibits sleeping, and overnight parking by vehicles other than HGVs and coaches.

 

[barryd]

Just looked at it in Street view and I wouldnt stay there. Not with Mrs D anyhow, I would with the boys though for a night on the beer.

Thats probably the problem. Its a shame if someone worked hard to get it. Why withdraw it though? Is it costing anything? I also agree with a previous poster. I would feel safer in a town centre in Europe than in the UK (Im not sure everyone feels this way though).

I would love to see Aires like in France but to be honest I seek out the nicer ones out of town in villages or fields with loads of space and free. We have CL's here as well which suit us fine as well as select wild spots if you know where they are. So its no great shakes to me if we get them or not. Anyway with the price of diesel First stop in future for us will be either Dover or a Scotish ferry. The only other places we are likely to go is the Lakes or East yorkshire coast and we know all the places to stay there.

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[pappajohn]

two things let this sceme down....

one....not publicised enough.

two...only provision for two motorhomes at a time.

second point was the letdown in my opinion.

had they made provision for maybe 6 or 8 vans, then word would have got around and pitch 'turnover' would have been much improved.

my veiw is....

do you want to cruise round looking for something which may not exist ?

if/when you do find it, you also find its limited to two vans and is already at capacity.

if the facility had been publicised they would probably have had many phonecalls asking for the limit to be raised and it would still be an ongoing facility.

 

[coldstreamer]

Totally agree with Bungie, not the safest place to stay, Friday and Sat. nights can be a bit rowdy and its a sort cut from the High St. to a very large housing estate. Have spoken about this to the HGV boys and they would rather use the lay-by at Wilton Works.
Such a shame the town is really trying hard in difficult times.
Best Regards, Mac

 

[JockandRita]

Hi Graham,

I too knew nothing of the Guisborough MH facility.

Looking at it on "Google street view" ( 54.53411 -1.05117 ), and comparing it to the likes of Canterbury, with it's facilities and great security, it's not a location Rita would feel safe overnighting at either. :Sad:

Sorry, but it just doesn't look right, and therefore wouldn't make you feel right.

It would help if many towns and cities across Britain, didn't portray a "drink and drugs" culture, which gives even local citizens the perception, that it is not safe to walk the streets at night. We have never had that same perception in any other place we have overnighted in, outside the UK.

Regards,

Jock.

 

[GJH]

Hi Graham,

I too knew nothing of the Guisborough MH facility.

It has been mentioned in a number of threads on here over the last couple of years or so - search will find them

Looking at it on "Google street view" ( 54.53411 -1.05117 ), and comparing it to the likes of Canterbury, with it's facilities and great security, it's not a location Rita would feel safe overnighting at either. :Sad:

Sorry, but it just doesn't look right, and therefore wouldn't make you feel right.

Point (as made on a number of threads) taken but, as I mentioned yesterday, that location is the only option available in that particular town without the need for significant capital investment. The Canterbury site was primarily built as a P&R site so the cost of provision of facilities for motorhomes was relatively small compared to the whole scheme. That sort of investment will simply not happen in Guisborough or comparable towns because there simply isn't the need for P&R site development.

It would help if many towns and cities across Britain, didn't portray a "drink and drugs" culture, which gives even local citizens the perception, that it is not safe to walk the streets at night. We have never had that same perception in any other place we have overnighted in, outside the UK.

I don't think many people would disagree with that sentiment - but rather a wider subject

 

[scotjimland]

I must confess, I hadn't looked at 'street view' before commenting.

After viewing it's not my idea of an aire .. it's a place to park but not to overnight so it's of no surprise it's not been popular.

I'm sure the councilors were well intentioned.. if perhaps misguided as to what an aire is.

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[GJH]

I must confess, I hadn't looked at 'street view' before commenting.

After viewing it's not my idea of an aire .. it's a place to park but not to overnight so it's of no surprise it's not been popular.

I'm sure the councilors were well intentioned.. if perhaps misguided as to what an aire is.

Just for clarity, the original initiative for the facility came from a motorhome owner who is a resident of Guisborough and is well aware of what full aire facilities entail, having used them on the continent in the past.

Yes, Fountain Street does not have facilities other than water and waste dump (in the adjacent toilet block) but how many times do people post on forums, in support of overnight stops, along the lines of "motorhomes, unlike caravans, are self contained so we don't need any facilities other than a place to stop"?

Without any clear evidence as to how much demand there would be for facilities there was no way a local authority could risk the expense to local tax payers of significant investment which might be wasted. Making the facility available at Fountain Street was able to be accomplished at relatively low cost which could be justified.

 

[JockandRita]

clipped........Yes, Fountain Street does not have facilities other than water and waste dump (in the adjacent toilet block) but how many times do people post on forums, in support of overnight stops, along the lines of "motorhomes, unlike caravans, are self contained so we don't need any facilities other than a place to stop"?

You are absolutely right Graham, many of us don't need much in the way of facilities for a one/two night stop, but we do need to be able to overnight at a location that is both suitable and safe.
We once knew an elderly couple who fulltimed in their large ARV, and when looking for safe overnighting, more often than not, a trading or industrial estate was the chosen location. This was because A... they had the room to park up, and B...they felt safer there, especially if truckers were parked up for the night too.

Best regards,

Jock.

 

[scotjimland]

Just for clarity, the original initiative for the facility came from a motorhome owner who is a resident of Guisborough and is well aware of what full aire facilities entail, having used them on the continent in the past.

Yes, Fountain Street does not have facilities other than water and waste dump (in the adjacent toilet block) but how many times do people post on forums, in support of overnight stops, along the lines of "motorhomes, unlike caravans, are self contained so we don't need any facilities other than a place to stop"?

Without any clear evidence as to how much demand there would be for facilities there was no way a local authority could risk the expense to local tax payers of significant investment which might be wasted. Making the facility available at Fountain Street was able to be accomplished at relatively low cost which could be justified.

Graham , I hear and appreciate all you say, however, facilities or a lack of wouldn't be a deciding factor for me, and I suspect most, for choosing an aire... it's all about location and security, whether only perceived or not ..

Not all French aires are great, nor all towns quiet ..

For example, we have been awakened by noisy boy racers on a couple of aires... needless to say we wouldn't go back or recommend.. so it's not just the UK...

 

[GJH]

Thanks Jock & Jim. I understand completely what you are saying about safety of location - but as there was no other practical choice it was either that location or nothing unfortunately.

 

[joncris]

Why can't local councils work hand in hand with clubs like ours when entering the market for stop overs. That way such a site will be supported at no cost to the council as members will feel more inclined to use them as a means of showing support to their club. Also it would be a much more efficient means of monitoring the sites use

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