Dan Cartwright has over 12 years of experience in the caravan and motorhome industry. He is a judge for a number of prestigious leisure vehicle awards and regularly heads off in his motorhome with his family. Every week, Dan shares his insights with the community. Here’s what he has to say this week.
Staying in laybys and public roads overnight in your caravan, motorhome or campervan is becoming a hotly talked about topic. Over the last four or five years and since the proliferation of vanlifers, the grey areas surrounding overnight parking have started to make things more difficult for the average holidaymaker, as councils change rules and regulations.
The legalities
You’re able to stop in your motorhome, campervan or caravan in a layby or on a small road, as long as you’re not obstructing traffic, but it’s a grey area as to whether you can stay overnight. There’s nothing specific that says you’re not permitted to spend the night in these spots.
Despite those being the rules that generally govern England, each local authority is able to make its own laws on top of them. Each particular area might have a blanket ban, stating you can’t stay overnight, or may have separate restrictions on carparks, for example. These may or may not be labelled.
Ultimately, wherever you are, when not on private land but on a public highway, including laybys, setback laybys and small roads, the police can request you to move on at any time. Remember that even if you’re in bed, with no intention to drive, you can be prosecuted for being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle if you’re over the legal alcohol limit to drive.
The consequences
As a result of the proliferation of people wanting to stay overnight in their leisure vehicles outside of recognised campsites and certificated locations, many councils are implementing bans. Beauty spots that once offered free parking to everyone are now restricted, with no overnight stays and monitored and paid-for parking.
Safety
Being parked on a public road or in a layby has a much higher risk of personal injury than being on private land or pitched up in a campsite. You’ve got no protection against road traffic accidents and you’re also lit up like a Christmas tree in the dark, drawing attention to yourself for anyone looking to steal or cause personal harm.
A big thing to consider is fire in a leisure vehicle, because of the nature of how they’re used. Some self-converted vans have log-burning fires, while in others it’s the proximity between the gas bottle, cooking appliances and soft furnishings that poses a risk. Campsites have distance between vehicles built into the design and fire breaks, but being in a car park can make it difficult to exit as everything is closer together.
Comfort
It’s true that battery technology means you can now live relatively comfortably off-grid. While you’re likely to be able to run lights and charge things, the chances of being able to put your heating on are slim. Whatever you do, if you’re in a campervan, don’t turn the engine on and go to sleep as it’s a disaster waiting to happen in terms of accidentally moving on its own.
There’s no possibility of having an end-of-day glass of wine or two, because you’ve got to be capable of driving at any point. It’s also worth being aware that rules against setting up a campsite preclude things like chaining up your bikes or anything else you bring along outside your vehicle.
Environmental impact
Campsites and holiday parks are designed to be environmentally friendly. You have the facilities already set up to recycle waste and dispose of grey water responsibly. Many people who have stayed in vans overnight put mixed bags of rubbish in council bins, which is not an ideal solution.
Another thing to remember is that campsites are very good in terms of land usage. They’re green and often have shrubbery and homes for insects, with plenty of flora and fauna to enhance the experience and improve the environment.
People ruining it for everyone else
There’s a big difference between somebody doing a long journey, not knowing how far they’d get and just stopping in a layby for a few hours to break up the driving, and turning up at a beauty spot where the whole of the roadside and parking is taken up with leisure vehicles. Everyone is up at sunrise taking pictures for their vanlife profiles! This is when councils decide to create restrictions and force them to go elsewhere.
I appreciate that campsite fees can seem high when you’re living in a leisure vehicle full-time, but you need to plan. Make private arrangements to go off-grid with farmers or pubs to pitch up in a more respectful way. Houseboat owners have to pay mooring fees and the same should apply for those living in a van. You should expect to have to pay to park it somewhere.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Tobias Tullius
