Motorized Squatting, what's the future?
Interested to hear Club members thoughts on the future of "Wild Camping" "Off Gridding" or whichever romantic term you wish - essentially the practice of avoiding pitching fees overnight & longer (in a vehicle). There were moves afoot to impose fines? Is there a halfway house compromise to be had? Will they permit it in certain locations? - Where do you think legislation is going basically.
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Don't approve of FLTs and this could easily be solved by imposing no camping and time limits on parking. No problem with fines either as long as proper parking spots, day and night, are provided for motorhomes and campervans.
Where did you read/hear about fines being imposed?
peedee
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There are compromises and the provision of legitimate overnight parking places is increasing. This is something PD knows more about than I and it’s been discussed many a time.
Legislation already exists but the will and resources to enforce it are not always available. There’s no excuse for anyone to break laws.
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Article here outlined possible fines -
Where do you think legislation is going?
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It’s rather a confusing article, Dyddy. For instance, the Dartmoor exception to the law applies only to tent camping where all the gear is carried. None of that is made clear in the article where they mostly lump tents and motorhomes into the same category. It’s a typical newspaper headline grabbing story and I’d not pay too much attention to it.
As has been said, the legislation already exists and neither you nor I can guess what might happen, if anything. 🤷🏻♂️
Incidentally, that article in your link is over 2 years old. Nothing seems to have happened since.
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I find the dross often shown in links like this (sponsor strewn) pretty much unreadable and the content is ancient, as TW says...
many, many places to 'park' overnight which I wouldn't class as 'wild camping'.
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Dyddy, I am not a club veteran and, like you, I have not given any opinion.
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As a motorhomer and before that a long term caravanner I prefer to stay campsites, my preferred choice. Ironically before that we had a small boat on the canals and we used to tie up anywhere and hardly think about it. One night we stayed by a lock keepers cottage on the BCN under Spaghetti Junction which was being built at the time. What quite changed between boating and caravanning I am not sure but we were young back then. A lot has changed in the last 10 years and many people have purchased motorhomes or converted vans with no background of camping on conventional campsites. Often they move around on a daily basis and campsites don't suit their MO. Just because they choose to not use campsites doesn't make them bad people. There are lots of YouTubers out there with blogs about how they camp and I have found them to be responsible in how they conduct themselves. This change has crept up on us and there has not been a lot of pro-activism in the provision of space for those that like to do their own thing. A lot of pubs are now allowing people to stay on their car parks, either for a modest fee or free if buying a meal. Some councils are providing overnight parking at a modest cost. The official stance of the Club (as confirmed at the last AGM) is not to encourage that type of use, will that change, who knows.
David
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as a exmotorhomer that used to do occassional free camping, we found places to park stay one night then move off, unless the locals were happy for us to be there, Then we found that some would start staying all summer in one spot and have things spread around like chairs tables rubbish etc, The youtubers didnt help putting places on their channels even describing how to find the places, we had a spot near us and most people used to park foe a night or two then move off but lately they started to stay for weeks and there was a strong smell of urine near their van, then wonder when the council erected barriers it was on search for sites website they still drive to it now and have a shock that they carn't get on, but they then use nearest layby so next there will be signs going up, used to be free overnighting at fairbourne right at end next to estuary but certain people started to used the mini railway tunnel as a toilet so now there is now free overnighting but there is council carpark where they can get tickets to stay over but no overnight on the beach carparks. theres too many doing free camping now.
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I am confused as to why you did not mention the 2022 Act in your opening post Dyddy. You spoke about "moves afoot" to impose fines. If by reference to the 2022 Act you mean the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, then, my understanding of that, is that it has already imposed the criminal offence of residing on land without consent in or with a vehicle - with the possibility of fines, and even prison sentences, for those who perpetrate such offences. This received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022.
The article you linked is also clearly referring to that, though it does not say so and albeit that it would have been a Bill when written in 2021.
The Act repeals the Vagrancy Act of 1824, under which residing on land without permission was formerly a civil offence, and introduces the new offence. To give my opinion, as requested, I cannot see it changing much. The new Act is aimed at travellers. The cases where action is taken against a motor homer are likely to be rare, I would have thought. Of course, we can hope that that is because most motor homers would not camp anywhere without consent.
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......."To give my opinion, as requested, I cannot see it changing much. The new Act is aimed at travellers. The cases where action is taken against a motor homer are likely to be rare, I would have thought. Of course, we can hope that that is because most motor homers would not camp anywhere without consent".
Gradyjames - My apologies, I assumed any member replying, would be aware without the need of lengthy mention of exacting relevant legislation. Although aimed at travellers as you say " c) a person has or intends to have at least one vehicle with them on the land" could be used in a much wider context allied to the context of what constitutes "Significant" in each particular case. As you say at this point, rare, if any pertaining to non travellers.
I very much agree that it's not a mainstream issue.
Thank you for your personal thoughts on the post question, they are very much appreciated.
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My apology too as I did not make the jump from the old and rather obscure article in your link, Dyddy, to the Act which was discussed at some length on here way back the line. I think, though, that any failing on my own part was understandable in view of your OP which centred around wild camping and, as GDJ said, made no reference to the Act.
Whatever, I think we understand the situation and each other now.👍
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