SBC: Firing Blanks?
- an “In My View” article by Nigel WARD, reporting on the rumbling of war drums heralding a fascinating battle of wills between Scarborough Borough Council and campaigner Andy STRANGEWAY. Read on . . .
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On 6th August 2014, Tim Thorne published an article entitled “Council Forced To Re-Consult On Motorhomes ban”, flagging up the battle lines emerging between anti-motorhomer lobbyists (predominantly holiday accommodation businesses) and motorhomers.
County Councillor Joe PLANT, always with an eye to re-election, inevitably aligned himself with the lobbyists, without a thought for the economic advantage to the wider community of tapping into the 250,000-strong UK motorhomer market – many of whom are well-heeled pensioners with molto spending power (motorhomes are generally in the £40K – £150K price bracket).
But campaigner Andy STRANGEWAY successfully called ‘Foul!’ on the shortcomings of the NYCC statutory consultation process, forcing NYCC into re-running the consultation.
Readers may remember my article “NYCC: A Sea-View In Pitch Darkness” (7th April 2015), in which I reported on Andy STRANGEWAYS’ challenge to the legality of North Yorkshire County Council’s legal procedures intended, at long last, to validate the ban on motorhomers from parking overnight (11:00pm to 7:00am) on many sea-front streets in the Borough of Scarborough.
Andy took issue with the Statement of Reasons under-pinning the proposed Traffic Regulation Order; for example Item 3, which states ” …loss of view/sea view for other highway users and particularly for neighbouring properties…”, on the obvious grounds that there is no sea view during the hours of darkness.
Let me now quote from motorhome enthusiasts’ website Out&AboutLive (29/07/15):
- “Meanwhile, there’s some good news from North Yorkshire where overnight parking on Royal Albert Drive in Scarborough has been prohibited for three years. Andy Strangeways, motorhome rights campaigner, met with the Yorkshire Coast and Moors County Area Committee, at Sneaton Castle, Whitby and submitted that the proposed Traffic Regulation Order shouldn’t be allowed because, ‘between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00 there is no loss of a sea view at Royal Albert Drive, Scarborough as there is a cliff under which vehicles park.’ One of the reasons put forward to propose the banning order was that local residents would lose their sea view.”
In fact, when the TRO was finally approved (by Corporate Director for Business & Environmental Services David BOWE), Cayton Bay and the very popular coast road at Sandsend had also been excluded from the ban, in addition to Royal Albert Drive in Scarborough (pictured above).
But it would seem that the matter is apparently unlikely to end there.
Six weeks ago, Scarborough Borough Council (who administer the NYCC on-street parking regulation) issued a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) – a parking ticket – to a motorhomer.
Procedurally, this should be followed by a ‘Notice To Owner’ (cough up or face the music), but on this occasion – for reasons unknown – “SBC have declined to issue a Notice To Owner” – also covered in Andy’s Letter to the Editor of the North Yorks Enquirer “Please Give Me A Ticket!”.
This begs the question:
- “Does SBC entertain doubts about the enforceability of NYCC’s Traffic Regulation Order?”
To answer that question, Andy STRANGEWAY has thrown down the gauntlet with the following ‘Notice to Council’:
From: Andy Strangeway
To: Cllr.Joe Plant ; Jane Wilson
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2015 3:09 PM
Subject: Notice To CouncilDear Jane and Joe,
Could I please refer you to https://andystrangeway.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/notice-to-council/
As Scarborough Borough Council have failed to issue a Notice to Owner in relation to SJ06113557 for over six weeks to allow a legal challenge to SBC intimidation of motorhomers by issuing an unenforceable PCN I write to give notice of future meetings.
Myself and approximately six of my motorhomer friends will park motorhomes between the hours of 23.00 and 07.00 in a “No Motor Caravan” location of our choice on a date(s) between now and Christmas.
To make it easy for SBC to ticket every motorhome I am more than happy to phone or text SBC once we are all parked. All you need to do is provide an out of office number. In addition I will text Councillor Joe Plant who I have enjoyed a dignified discussion with on the subject of banning Motor Caravans.
Kindest Regards,
Andy Strangeway
Has the much-publicised “No Motor Caravans” order been found wanting?
Or are SBC giving early Christmas presents to motorhomers?
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