Latest news with #campervans
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Shropshire festival celebrates the world of van life culture
Fans of camper vans, caravans and "van life culture" in general have gathered to celebrate this weekend in tents to motor homes and trucks to caravans, 5,000 people are attending the Vanlife Festival at the West Mid Showground in is the third time the festival has been held in the town to bring together everyone who loves the outdoors and Ruth Jones said people from all walks of life visited the festival and shared stories about their travels around the world. "Some people have travelled all around Australia and others have lived in their vans for more than 30 years," she said. A range of performances are featured at the festival including acts like Metz Jnr, Frankie Roe and The is also a large display of more than 100 classic camper vans and caravans beginning from the 1960s in the festival's Field of Inspiring Dreams."You can see what set-up people have and have a cup of tea with the owners, some even have parrots and cats," Ruth Jones added that the displays brought some people to tears as the caravans reminded them of childhood camping with their families. Damo Jones and Terry Smith founded the festival after meeting at camper van shows and wanted to create an inclusive event where every make and model of vehicle was Mr Jones and his wife Ruth started travelling with a tent at the age of 18, they would look "in envy" at people with camper vans."We would meet friends by inviting people around the campfire and we wanted people to feel involved from all walks of life," Ms Jones couple later managed to save up and purchase a van of their own and have been camper van owners for the past 20 years. They have brought the campfire vibes to the festival by introducing faux campfires that everyone can sit around to share stories and get to know one another. Campervan and caravan lovers can explore the festival and be inspired by others until the event finishes on Sunday. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Labour and SNP call for Scottish Highlands campervan tax saying roads cannot cope with soaring number of tourists from across the world
Figures from Labour and the SNP are calling for a Scottish Highlands tax on campervans in a bid to raise cash and help maintain the area, as it is warned the country's roads cannot cope with an influx of tourists. The number of visitors to the Highlands has risen by 65 percent since 2012, and many of those visiting bring campervans as they tour the region. Some 36,000 campervans visited the Highlands in 2022, according to the local council, with many encouraged by the development of the North Coast 500, a scenic 500-mile route dubbed 'Scotland's Route 66'. A recent study by Glasgow Caledonian University found the 2015 project has boosted the local economy by £22 million a year, creating about 200 full-time jobs. But tensions have been rising in the Highlands as the area increases in popularity, with complaints from locals that campervan drivers clog up the roads and leave rubbish behind. Labour's Shaun Fraser, who will be standing as their candidate for Inverness and Nairn in the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, told the Telegraph: 'Initiatives such as the North Coast 500 have transformed the dynamics of Highland tourism, with a huge rise in campervans using rural single–track highland roads. Our roads cannot cope with this. It is a mixed blessing. The council already introduced a voluntary scheme for campervan drivers, who can now pay £40 for a week's pass which would give drivers access to local car parks and daily shower facilities 'Highland communities and local services must benefit from tourism. I support a fair and well-designed visitor levy and sensible measures to manage the impact of campervans. 'I would be open to looking at options attached to campervans, including number plate recognition to charge visiting campervans using highland roads. I think that this should be considered.' Current MSP for the SNP, Emma Roddick, separately called for campervan users to be included in a wider tourist tax being considered by the council. Highlands Council is currently deliberating whether to implement a five percent levy on overnight accommodation. It is said this could raise £10 million per year - and this figure could rise if campervans are included. The council already introduced a voluntary scheme for campervan drivers, who can now pay £40 for a week's pass which would give drivers access to local car parks and daily shower facilities. It is hoped the scheme will eventually raise £500,000. Frustrated locals previously called for an overnight parking ban due to the quantity of touring campervans in the region. Problems cited at the time included rubbish left behind, with the council's £40 scheme not providing waste disposal.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Scottish Highlands plots ‘campervan tax' amid huge rise in visitors
Campervan drivers face paying a tourist tax to drive through the Scottish Highlands because the roads 'cannot cope' with the number of visitors. Tensions have risen in recent years between locals and campervan drivers following a surge in motorhome tourists, with accusations they are clogging up roads and illegally dumping waste. The number of visitors to the Highlands has risen by 65pc since 2012 with nearly 36,000 campervans touring the region in 2022, according to the local council. The increase is in part down to the construction of the North Coast 500, a scenic 500-mile route around the north coast dubbed 'Scotland's Route 66', which has attracted tourists from around the world and led to a rise in visitors renting campervans to complete the drive. A study by Glasgow Caledonian University found the route, which was launched in 2015, has boosted the local economy by £22m a year, creating about 200 full-time jobs. However, Labour and SNP politicians are calling for campervan drivers to pay a levy to visit the area with some suggesting the council install cameras to track the registration plates of drivers to make sure they pay. Shaun Fraser, who is standing to be Labour MSP for Inverness and Nairn, said: 'Initiatives such as the North Coast 500 have transformed the dynamics of Highland tourism, with a huge rise in campervans using rural single–track highland roads. Our roads cannot cope with this. It is a mixed blessing. 'Highland communities and local services must benefit from tourism. I support a fair and well-designed visitor levy and sensible measures to manage the impact of campervans. 'I would be open to looking at options attached to campervans, including number plate recognition to charge visiting campervans using highland roads. I think that this should be considered.'
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Pictured: Drivers caught out by high tides at Welsh beauty spot
Expensive cars and campervans are getting wrecked at a beauty spot on the Welsh coast as the tide catches out drivers. Motorists are repeatedly running into trouble at Traeth y Greigddu, or Black Rock Sands, in North Wales where they are allowed to park on the sand. Cars are routinely submerged in the sand and vulnerable to being swept out to sea by fast-flowing waters. Five vehicles were trapped by the rising waters in April after parking on the shore, including a new Mercedes coupé and an Audi. Council officials have warned drivers against leaving their cars on the beach at Morfa Bychan, a village near the resort town of Porthmadog in Gwynedd, after saying their officers were unable to rescue every trapped vehicle. A Gwynedd council spokesman said: 'Where possible, during staffed hours, council officers will endeavour to recover any vehicles that get into such difficulties. 'However, in some cases it may be necessary to seek assistance from a third-party contractor, for which the driver or owner of the vehicle would be responsible for the associated costs. 'We welcome everyone who wishes to spend time on our beautiful beaches and coastal areas. However, we want everyone to enjoy themselves safely.' The spokesman reminded visitors to Traeth y Greigddu to check the weather forecast and tide times before parking on the sand, and 'to treat the sea and coastline with respect'. Gwynedd council advised drivers to park above the high-water mark and not to leave their cars unattended. 'Multiple signs are positioned along the beach at Morfa Bychan to warn users of the potential dangers and to indicate areas of the beach where vehicles are prohibited from accessing,' the council said in a statement. 'On occasion, the vehicles of those who have not heeded the warning signs can become trapped on the beach due to soft sand, having driven onto the sand banks, or because they have parked below the high-tide line.' The beach was used as a backdrop for the Manic Street Preachers ' 1998 album cover This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Motorhomes curbed at Keyhaven amid seafront 'campsite' concern
Motor homes and camper vans will be banned from staying overnight at a Hampshire beauty spot amid complaints about the "lovely area looking like a campsite".New parking fees will be introduced at Keyhaven, near Lymington, and motorhomes will be unable to stay after 20: County Council has approved an order to introduce pay-and-display parking in New Lane and Saltgrass will be £1 an hour, with a maximum stay for the entire day, and will apply from Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00. Residents had raised concerns through councillors and parking services about motorhomes and campervans staying overnight on the seafront and nearby. County councillor for Keyhaven and Milford on Sea, Fran Carpenter, said: "I visited a few days ago. There was visible litter in the salt marsh. "Campervans, some bigger than buses, were parked as far as the eye could see. She said she spotted a van selling souvenirs, adding that a car delivering pizzas had blocked the road. She said the parish council had sent one photo showing a sofa next to a van, taking up four parking spaces."I'm afraid this lovely area is often treated, and looks like a campsite," she said. Cabinet member for highways Lulu Bowerman said: "There are no public facilities overnight for parking, and campers use the local land."I think the scheme would bring order to this particularly beautiful part of Hampshire."It is expected the new rules will come into force in August or September.A similar traffic order at Marine Drive, Barton on Sea, is also being considered. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
