Campsite owners warn Highland Council motorhome scheme 'could end in tragedy'

A Highland Council initiative aimed at curbing rogue parking by motorhomes has triggered warnings over safety and claims of lost trade from campsite owners.

Operators say the £40 seven-day ticket scheme, which allows campervans to use council car parks, has led to off-site visitors dumping waste, using facilities without paying and parking in dangerous conditions.

The policy was introduced to protect the environment, but many council car parks lack toilets, showers and water. Councillors later agreed the fee should be optional.

A report commissioned by 50 campsite operators has concluded the scheme has caused a “substantial loss of business” while creating potential safety risks.

Darren Redfern, who runs Dornoch Caravan & Camping Park, said: “We had to invest in security measures to stop people who park nearby coming in and using services they haven’t paid for.

“We’ve actually got code locks on our toilets and showers, and they’re coming in with four nights of rubbish for our bins. There’s four nights’ worth of waste and water getting put down our drains.”

Highland Campsites Association chairwoman Ann Edwards warned overcrowding could lead to disaster.

She said: “People are parked up side by side literally inches, inches away from each other that can cause, at some point, perhaps maybe a serious accident.”

The concerns follow an incident last month in which a man was injured in a suspected gas blast at a Moray Council car park in Lossiemouth.

Campsite owners filmed motorhomes packed into Torvean car park in Inverness to show the risks.

Mr Redfern added: “We have six-metre spacing to stop fires spreading. We have seen carparks like Torvean, like the one in Golspie, where they’re parked door-to-door, where if one motorhome was to go up in flames it will take the other motorhomes up beside them and at that point you’re looking at multiple fatalities.”

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has urged caution.

Cathy Barlow, deputy head of prevention and protection, said: “Where premises consider using their car park for overnight motorhome parking we recommend a fire safety risk assessment is carried out.

“We continue to encourage visitors to make use of official campsites or designated overnight parking areas wherever possible.”

Spacing rules for fire safety apply to campsites but not to council car parks.

Highland Council insists the impact on trade has been limited. Councillor Ken Gowans, a senior member of the administration, said: “We’ve look at this and, of course, the scheme that we put in hasn’t generated as much income as we had first anticipated. So, the amount of money they would have lost would have been fairly minimal.

“But, at the end of the day, the scheme for Highland is not about raising income for Highland Council, it’s about raising awareness of the environmental impact and about being socially responsible in terms of tourism.”

The Scottish Government confirmed no licence is required for council car park use by motorhomes.

A petition urging legislation to ensure motorhomes only park in designated locations is currently sitting with the Scottish Parliament.