Pros and cons of caravans on island heard by committee
Would extra tourists providing an economic boost outweigh potential damage to nature? That’s the question surrounding the debate over using caravans on the Isle of Man.
The Select Committee of Tynwald on Towed Caravans, which was set up in June this year, is discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using towed caravans on the Island.
The committee will also consider whether or not a new caravan park should be set up on the Isle of Man. New guidelines and common standards for caravan sites and camping pods are also being discussed, which is necessary as there are currently no national policies regarding caravans on the Island.
Current legislation stipulates that anyone wishing to take their caravan onto the Isle of Man must apply for a permit from the Departments of Local Government and the Environment, which seems a bit harsh to us.
But there might be a silver lining to this cloud after all.
Research suggests that a 100-pitch site could draw 8,000 more visitors a year and generate around £500,000 in tax revenue. What’s more, there are some members of the Isle of Man’s Parliament that see the benefits of caravans and are lobbying for their use on the Island. Alex Downie, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), told Isle Of Man Today that towed caravans are a largely untapped market, adding: ”I think the Isle of Man is a fantastic place for them to come.”
Sadly, not everyone sees it that way, at least not Steve Rodan, Speaker of the House of Keys who describes caravans as congesting, inducing road rage and disfiguring the countryside. He told Isle Of Man Today that caravans should certainly not be allowed on the Island, adding: “I am very sorry to find that we are even talking about encouraging, facilitating, regulating, creating a home for, or in any way contemplating, having the presence of towed caravans.”
He also elaborated on the problems that he thought caravans cause in other parts of the country, commenting: “Anyone who has been in the Scottish Highlands and has ever been stuck behind any of these congesting, road rage inducing, countryside disfiguring vehicles would conclude that a place that is blessedly relatively free of them should be in any way contemplating having them amongst us would think we must be quite literally mad.”
This issue is quite a thinker (obviously not to us though), and the committee has put off making a decision until clearer evidence that caravanning would be beneficial to the Island emerges. There are also concerns that there could be damage to the Island’s environment.
Should towed caravans be allowed on the Isle of Man, or this truly an unfeasible move? What do you think?
