Local authority forced to open motorhome overnight parking site amid influx of larger vehicles

The Thrunscoe Land Motorhome Parking site will offer drivers spaces for one or two-night parking with charges of £12 per 24 hours.

The new spaces come despite overnight parking of motorhomes being prohibited in all North East Lincolnshire Council car parks.

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The trial site has 10 parking spaces in the southern part of Thrunscoe Land car park in Cleethorpes, near the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway.

The area has new post indicators and signage, as well as parking fees displayed. These must be paid for on arrival through an app, as ticket machines are not available to pay for motorhome parking.

The site also has an Elsan disposal point for access to water and emptying chemical toilets in a bid to stop drivers from littering after leaving.

The need for the car park comes as the number of motorhome owners in the area has been rising in recent years, with the provision of suitable car parking in greater demand, particularly as the warmer weather draws in.

The short-stay site aims to encourage more visitors to the resort, which in turn would see more contributions to the local economy and enable a wider contribution to the visitor economy.

The council noted that motorhomes, which would not be able to fit into a regular bay, can park during the daytime at Grant Street Car Park and now for up to 48 hours, including overnight, within a designated parking bay on Thrunscoe Land Motorhome Park.

However, the council said there still remains a strict no parking rule outside of marked bays to prevent parking on the grassed areas.

Drivers who break the parking rules can be hit with a Penalty Charge Notice, which can be as much as £70, although halved if paid early.

CouncillorHayden Dawkins said: "The motorhome industry has grown rapidly in recent years, and we are delighted to be able to offer motorhome enthusiasts somewhere to park overnight when they are visiting our resort.

"These sites are popular all over Europe and in tourist towns across the UK, and they not only offer larger, more accessible parking bays for motorhomes and camper vans, but also free up car parking spaces for regular vehicles in our other local car parks during the day."

The council warned that no objects can be placed outside of the motorhome while parked, including chairs and tables, with owners asked to park centrally in the bays and give up to three metres of space between vehicles.

"We hope this site will attract more visitors into Cleethorpes who wish to stay overnight (maximum two nights) and have previously not been able to park easily," Dawkins added.

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The site has been hit with mixed views by residents, with one person stating that there are "more important things that money could have been spent on" instead of creating a camp for drivers.

Another person shared: "I suspect many of these particular problem motorhome people that this is for won't want to pay even £12, they have become used to being freeloaders. It's definitely a good thing to have it though."