Motorhome Owners Fighting Proposed Changes

With the DoI engaging with local authorities over where to ban overnight parking of large vehicles, motorhome owners are opposing the changes.

The proposed change to regulations comes as a response to complaints received by authorities about motorhomes, vans and industrial vehicles being parked in housing estates.

Opposing this, a petition set up by Keith Pringle is seeking to stop the proposed changes and has attracted over 1,200 signatures as of Thursday morning.

Mr Pringle’s petition says that a ‘£60 fixed penalty notice could be issued from the Police, local authority and the department of infrastructure staff if you are found parking overnight between 6.00pm to 7.00am Monday to Friday and all day Saturday & Sunday’.

He says that this change will affect differing vehicle types including work vans, some 4x4s, SUV’s and camper vans.

People who have signed the petition have noted that this will also potentially impact people who have specially adapted vehicles, for example those who have a family member in a wheelchair.

Others have criticised the gov for the lack of provision for motorhomes with restrictions in place in areas such as the Sulby Claddaghs.

Trades people have also said that the proposed changes could impact on them if they take their work vans home at night.

Mr Pringle said: ‘Please sign this petition, contact your local authority (who have known about this for weeks) and contact your MHK about your concerns, The DoI are eager to get this legislation passed as early as this Autumn in Tynwald.’

The Letter

In a letter to local authorities, DoI director of highways Jeff Robinson said that the proposal to ‘restrict inappropriate weekend and overnight parking in residential areas’ for vehicles taller than 1.87m and longer than 5.5m will leave final decisions with local authorities.

In essence, it will be up to the local authorities to say what areas they do and don’t want the proposed rules to apply.

This means that if Douglas Council wanted to restrict people parking motorhomes or work vans on St Catherine’s Drive, then it would be up to the Council to do so. However, if it wanted to allow parking of such vehicles on the Spring Meadow Industrial Estate or Upper Dukes Road, for example, then it would be up to the authority to decide this.

Mr Robinson said in his letter: ‘The restrictions will apply to all speed regulated roads, unless through the regulations they are excluded by the local authority. For example, the local authority may choose to exempt an industrial estate within its area.’