A local authority appears set to give the green light to a significantly reduced motorhome parking scheme next week in a fresh blow to thousands of larger vehicles.
Pembrokeshire County Council will consider a single overnight parking facility at Goodwick Moor car park next week, following the collapse of a broader initiative that would have established designated motorhome stops at four locations across the county.
The scaled-back proposal represents a dramatic reversal from previous council plans launched in February last year.
The measures aimed to create year-round facilities for motorhomes and campervans, charging £10 per night at sites in Tenby, Narberth and Pembroke Dock alongside Goodwick.
GETTY |
The council has been forced to scale back its overnight parking options due to backlash from local businesses
That comprehensive scheme attracted national attention before being overwhelmingly rejected by councillors in April following fierce resistance from local tourism businesses.
The scheme received backlash from businesses in the area, which had warned that the original proposals would damage their operations, with Visit Pembrokeshire, the county's official tourism industry body, expressing serious reservations about the scheme.
The negative response resulted in the council deciding to scale back its plans and abandon the wider parking measures in September 2024.
Instead, the authority opted to pursue a single overnight stopover facility at Goodwick Moor, strategically positioned near the Fishguard ferry terminal.
PA | Motorhomes and campervans have limited parking options across the UK
The retreat marks a significant scaling back of ambitions to regulate and monetise the growing number of motorhomes using council car parks, with the original plan having promised to avoid creating "campsites" while generating revenue from overnight stays.
Council officers recommended conditional approval for a two-year trial period, noting that the proposal requires no physical alterations to the existing car park infrastructure.
Official council documents detailed: "A Management Plan has been provided in support of the application, and it states that the proposal would allow for one night stopover for Motorhomes/Campervans within certain areas of the car park for a trial period.
"The car park currently operates as a public car park, which has seen a significant growth in Motorhomes using the facility. However, the primary use of the site would continue as a car park, while regulating the overnight stays."
The document also addressed concerns about noise, litter, grey water disposal and toilet facilities, while confirming the site would continue primarily as a public car park.
Officers acknowledged that overnight stays already occur at the location, suggesting the scheme would "regulate the existing activities" rather than introduce entirely new uses to the site.
But Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council has formally objected to the application, raising multiple concerns about the scheme's impact on residents and local businesses.
Councillors warned the proposal would negatively affect existing businesses and residents, while also resulting in the loss of evening parking for community groups who currently use the facility.
VW |
Motorhomes and campervans will be restricted to only parking for one night under the new proposals
The council's own Pollution Control Team initially recommended refusal, citing "a history of complaints associated with this particular location where it has been utilised for overnight parking of Heavy Goods Vehicles."
However, the site's designation as employment land under the Local Development Plan presents a policy conflict, as the area is allocated for business and storage uses rather than tourism facilities.
Council officers acknowledged this breach but argued that the temporary nature of the proposal wouldn't prevent future employment development, particularly given that no detailed employment schemes have emerged since the plan's adoption in 2013.
The council document added: "The development would predominantly remain a car park but would enable users of certain vehicles the option to stay overnight. The proposal includes the installation of bins and updates to signage to facilitate the development, which are minor and could be installed under the permitted development rights afforded to the applicant."