I live near Dorchester, Dorset's county town. I have a very high opinion of the place: nice people, good shops, impressive cultural credentials (Romans, Thomas Hardy, William Barnes etc etc) and a pretty good Wednesday market. There's even Charlie Boy's grand experiment in social engineering at the Poundbury development.

Unfortunately, if you're a motorhome driver West Dorset District Council would really rather you stayed away.

Over the last four years I have been using the Trinity Street car park near the town centre. The bay I park in allows me to ensure all 4 wheels are inside the lines and the small overhang (it's a MWB Sprinter) is completely hidden behind a projecting wall. In no way do I interfere with any other vehicles. Others do the same.

A few weeks ago I returned to the van to see a parking attendant fixing a 'Warning Notice' to the door. I was told that as I wasn't parked 'within the marked bay' I was liable to a £60 fixed penalty fine if I persisted. We had a reasonable discussion where I pointed out that I'd always been under the impression that if all 4 wheels were within the bay I was okay. Not so, said the attendant.

So I emailed the council's parking services with a request for a ruling. Then I sent a reminder. Then I sent another reminder. Then . . . I think you get the drift.

So I emailed the Dorchester BID. This a commercial organization that represents the interests of Dorchester businesses. The very helpful contact promised to see if he could prompt the council into answering.

I received an email from Mr. Eugene Barnes, West Dorset Parking Services. It was not good news. Basically:

We do not allow vehicles to overhang bays, the rule of all four wheels in a bay is a myth.
Vehicles over 4.8m in length are not allowed to use the 2,000 odd parking bays in Dorchester.
You can use the 19 commercial parking bays along with lorries / coaches / tour busses. But not on market days etc.

So, motorhomes will need to try to find a spot in with the lorries / busses and then pay twice the going rate for cars. Cars on the other hand can now park free after 6pm and on Sundays and the ticket price for two hours will also be refunded in a whole raft of shops in town.

I emailed Mr Barnes again to ask where in the councils policy document on car parks it mentioned 4.8m (I couldn't find any). Also, how about a few 'long bays' in the central car parks. Then I sent a reminder . . .

If you would like to ask questions yourself about the poor service offer by WDDC the email you want is Mr. Barnes
e.barnes@westdorset-dc.gov.uk

If you would like to point out the short-sightedness of the policy and how it might influence any visits you might think of making to this lovely town, the email you want for the business group is
philg@dorchesterdorset.co.uk

I have emailed both as you suggest

curlyboy

 

i must admit even though i own a motorhome, i think this policy is perfectly reasonable.

regards karlb

 

I also e-mailed them.

Antonia

 

I think I'll avoid Dorchester, the whole of Europe is my oyster 8O

 

More to the point ,I think, is do all councils/local authorities etc have this "unwritten rule" in relation to parking areas under their control. Any other MHF'ers had similar experiences around the UK ?

bryan

 

Dorchester

Mmmm

Ask the manager of "Wellworths" to sort it out - she is a decent sort.

Russell

 

Hi Westbay

May I suggest you email the council and head the email "FOI Request."

Ask them:
On what basis motorhomes are no longer being allowed to park in that car park,
How was this decision arrived at
Who were the decision makers
What consultation was undertaken
How as a motor home ownernwer (tax payer etc) I was made aware of this rule and have the opportunity to influence it

That should get you all the data you want.

Any problems PM me, I used to deal with such requests so can tell you how to get to the root fo the issue.

Email it to their FOI help line.

 

Well here is the law on parking. Highway code

There is nothing which says in an offstreet parking space you have to be within the white lines of the bay.

It does say you must not leave your vehicle in a dangerous position or where it may obstruct the road - but an overhang of a metre in a spacious carpark would not be that.

Where the parking ticket is issued by the council (not the police or a private company) there are rules regarding whether a penalty notice may be appealed. A grounds for appeal is that the vehicle was permitted to park. Another ground for appeal is that the signs and lines were wrong. So, if there is no sign in the carpark saying that only vehicles of 4.8m or less may park, then that is a ground for appeal - as in, how were you supposed to know?

Interestingly, the Dorset County Council website does not include any information about carparks in West Dorset (which covers Dorchester) except charges and location. No rules are included.

If there are no rules on the website, and there are no rules on a sign in the carpark, then it seems pretty unreasonable that a ticket can be given, as the rule to be fully within the lines is not in legislation and thus can only be in local rules, which is they are neither on a sign nor on the website, how are you supposed to know about them?

In their "typical reasons why a fine will be issued" it does say that a vehicle must be parked wholly within a marked bay. That might be enough for them to consider that they have made it clear.

Otherwise, you'd just have to park a bit further out and then get on your bicycle.

 

Hi Westbay

May I suggest you email the council and head the email "FOI Request."

Ask them:
On what basis motorhomes are no longer being allowed to park in that car park,
How was this decision arrived at
Who were the decision makers
What consultation was undertaken
How as a motor home ownernwer (tax payer etc) I was made aware of this rule and have the opportunity to influence it

That should get you all the data you want.

Any problems PM me, I used to deal with such requests so can tell you how to get to the root fo the issue.

Email it to their FOI help line.

why the mention of motorhomes?
the rule is 4.8mtrs, not motorhomes.

 

why don't you point out the size of a BMW 7 series (which is just under 5.1 metres), and ask whether you would get a ticket if you parked it there?

if they say it wouldn't then it's clear discrimination.

 

My local Council was taken to the adjudicator on a similar argument as the drivers car was a biggish 4x4 and did not fit in the bay....the adjudicator suggested he buy a smaller car appeal rejected! .......here

 

The obvious solution is to boycott the place. Give your hard earned cash to somewhere else.
Incidentally they even charge 'Blue Badge' holders for parking!

 

The obvious solution is to boycott the place. Give your hard earned cash to somewhere else.
Incidentally they even charge 'Blue Badge' holders for parking!

i thought the blue badge was for easier more convienient parking, should that also be free? :roll:

 

Unless its Wednesday have a look in the Park and Ride next to Tesco's. There are a few bays there that will take the length of your vehicle. I sometimes park my 7.5m Autotrail and have yet to get any ticket ! The cost is £1 and that includes the bus ride into town, most of the drivers will stop where you ask them. It also extends all the way round the side of the football ground, if you turn to the right afterpassing the petrol station (away from the obvious park and ride park) there are a number of bays to your left where you can reverse into. Thats where I have parked in the past (all day whilst at work) and never had a ticket

There is also a suggestion that as the car park is actually owned by the football club not the Council therefore they (the council) do not have the legal power to issue a Penalty notice !! I have only ever seen warning notices attached to any vehicle in there !!

I have many dealings with Eugene and he has always been a man with a reasonable attitude to most things!! Ask him for a copy of the Off Street Parking Regulations for the car parks you
wish to use and study them carefully.

If there is nothing in the car park that states vehicles of a certain size/class/use are not permitted then I think they would be on a sticky wicket if they used that reason for issuing a ticket.

Most car parks state that vehicles must be parked within any marked bay. However when I questioned Weymouth and Portland Council (9 miles distant for those not resident in Dorset) I was advised to park in one of the bays around the edge of the Swannery car park so that I overhung the perimeter !!!

If I am in a strange town and park in a council car park I usually take a picture of my vehicle showing it is within the bays AND a picture of the board near to the ticket machine to show what it actually says!!( I use my mobile phone) It has enabled me to argue my case on a couple of occasions (successfully I might add !! :lol: )

 

Reply...interesting

Hi folks

I just received this.....because I sent an e-mail..so this man is listening at least. Maybe an e-mail campain of this kind would be useful.

Hi Antonia,......
I guess you may know George Wiltshire or Malcolm & Angela Passells who have also been in touch about this and I have told Malcom that I am going to do what I can to help BUT - Anything to do with councils takes AGES!! I have just sent this reply to George:

"Hi George - can i see the reply you got that prompted your response? I am doing my best to fight your corner for MH's so I would appreciate a little more time before you unlease the gods of war on Dorchester, We have achieved a lot of change in town over the last 2.5 years and I know these things can be changed with a good argument but it does take a little time. I would hope to have a better resolution in time for the spring when I expect there will be more MH's on the road."

Although I am nothing to do with the council I would like to address a couple of things:

Its not just cars that are FREE overnight (6.00pm-8.00am) it is all vechicles as far as I am aware. So MH's can also benefit from the FREE parking overnight and all day Sundays!! Its just that you need to know where to park. I am hoping to get a definative answer to this asap. In Mr Barnes from WDDC's answer he does say that there are spaces for MH's to use.

At times when parking is chargable, there are spaces in some of the car parks (top of town for example which is very handy for the town) long enough for the largest of MH's but I have to say as an independant outsider in this argument, I dont think it is unreasonable for a vechicle that takes up 2 spaces (even if its 1.3 spaces if it means the other space is not useable) that the user should pay for using both spaces - After all, Dorchester is a small town and parking is limited.

Very important is that MH's are advised to stay away on Wednesdays, as parking for the aforementioned reason is a nightmare and all available slots are used by coaches on market days!! This is the only day of the week when you may struggle to park a MH but in the longer term there is a resonlution to the problem - We have a new and large park and ride planned that should have spaces for several MH's (this is what I am proposing to the councils and intend to succeed).

I hope this helps a bit and please feel free to come back with any questions,

Kind Regards,

Phil

Phil Gordon

Project Director

The Dorchester BID Company

2nd Floor, 49 High West Street

Dorchester, DT1 1UT

 

i must admit even though i own a motorhome, i think this policy is perfectly reasonable.

regards karlb

Would you elaborate on that statement.

 

Dorchester

I think I'll avoid Dorchester, the whole of Europe is my oyster 8O

A very wise move, the by-pass (A35) seems grid-locked most of the time which the current roundabout widening road works (total waste of money, fly-over's are needed) are not going to help. Be sure to avoid this area at all cost during the 2012 Olympics as the traffic situation will be a nightmare. HRH Charlies village viewed coming from the west is a blemish on the landscape and looks totally out of keeping with its suroundings...........how on earth did that go thro planning? Dorchester has some nice character buildings but town traffic and the parking situation make it not worth the hassle. I do see trucks and coaches using the carpark at the top of town near the museum maybe thats worth a try? the traffic wardens are very enthusiastic in our area, we were parked a few years ago down at West Bexington with our Demount and were told by the warden that our step (which was out the back)was outside of our parking bay and he would issue a ticket if not removed :roll:
Chris

 

i must admit even though i own a motorhome, i think this policy is perfectly reasonable.

regards karlb

Would you elaborate on that statement.

car parks by design are for the standard car, i dont expect to be able to park my oversized commercial vehicle in towncenter car parks.

regards karlb

 

I have a motorhome which is 6.7 metres long, so I won't be going in that. I also have a car which is 5.0 metres long (its not a Rolls Royce, just an old mercedes with a towbar), so I won't be going in that either!! Looks like its out of bounds to me!!

 

The roadworks to widen the roundabouts on the by-pass are being done by the Highways Agency NOT the County Council, The HA have responsibility for the Trunk road network. In Dorset thats the A31 from Ringwood to Bere Regis and then the A35 Bere Regis to the Devon boundary.The HA do their own thing regardless of what the County Council want.

The cost of making a flyover is in the multiple tens of millions and the money is just simply not available no matter how much everyone would like it. If the money WAS available then it would be spent on the Canford Bottom roundabout at Wimborne, thats the worse bottleneck in the county by a factor of lots. Yet again this roundabout is the Highways Agency responsibility NOT the County Councils.

As far as the 2012 olympics are concerned no-one knows exactly what is going to happen on the local rds. However I am involved with the preparation works and I plan to be abroad in August 2012, the word gridlock will not, I feel, come close!!

 

why don't you point out the size of a BMW 7 series (which is just under 5.1 metres), and ask whether you would get a ticket if you parked it there?

if they say it wouldn't then it's clear discrimination.

I tried this approach. When the parking attendant was sticking on his warning notice I pointed out that quite a few extra long estate cars were overhanging much more than me. Not the point I was told - they're cars :?

 

Well MrPlodd I've lost count of how many hours I've wasted in the last couple of years sitting in road works while all these Improvements are going on in the Wey/dorch area. The A31/A35 is a disgrace and is well overdue an upgrade to min dual cariageway at least instead of installing more bottlenecks! you mention cost's.....what has all this wasted time cost industry? all this should have been foreseen by the planners before the by-pass's were built and would have been much cheaper to build when they were first constructed.
Chris

 

I was in that area in the Summer with the van and was appalled at the road network and the volume of traffic. What it must be like in rush hour, I cannot imagine. I agree about needing more dual carriageways.

If I cannot easily find suitable parking then I am afraid it will be a no go area. Sorry Dorchester, none of my hard earned will be coming your way.

 

Even my old Vauxhall Omega is too long for Dorchester

Mike

 

On a slightly different theme a few years ago whilst touring Scotland we parked our MH in a public car park in Ft. William. We saw several other MH's parked in long marked bays and we also parked there thinking they were meant for MH's.

On returning later we found we had a parking fixed penalty ticket along with all the other MH's. The explanation was we were parked in the wrong type of bay!! We should have parked in the smaller car park bays as the long bays were meant for cars with trailers although there were no markings to say so.

We paid the fine and I spent many weeks later writing to various official bodies before eventually I got a reply with an apology and my fine refunded.