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Hi All,

Have just been informed by telephone from a friend in Portrush that there are now signs up at the Ramore Head carpark stateing that parking is only allowed for one hour between the hours of 9pm and 8am and no return within a certain period of time ! ! !

This will stop all our motorhomes parking there for free every weekend or even prevent us parking there while going for a meal locally after 9pm and it will also affect about 200 motorhomes that were parked there for the airshow weekend!

Does anyone else know anything about this, it sounds daft to me as the motorhomes never caused problems and only brought buisness to the town. Furthermore, if I was going for a night out at a restruant or event in Portrush, it means that i can no longer park my private car in this large carpark for over one hour after 9pm!

Perhaps some of our more learned members could put a draft letter on this site, so that we could ALL copy it and send same to the council to register our objections.

Unit to save our parking

These notices, in Scotland anyway, are put up by the local councils.
Now council parking restrictions are enforced by Traffic Wardens.

Unless things are very different in Portrush, Traffic Wardens go home at 5pm and even on overtime, are not likely to be out and about between 9pm and 8am.

I suppose the Police could also enforce this if they had the time but I am fairly sure that they will have other duties to perform which are more important that moving folks on.

Even if they do attempt to move you, a simple explaination of, "Officer, I have driven a long way and I need some sleep before I continue my journey any further", will usually satisfy thee most ardent Policeman.

Common sense should prevail here and if you are going to stay overnight in a public area, wear casual clothes and not pyjamas when you retire for the night.

However, having toured NI in the past, I think you should fight any restriction that is put on any public car park that you can still access because there are precious few over there as we found to our cost.

As tourists with a campervan, we were made to feel very unwelcome in any town we visited with their dammed height barriers on every car park.

Quote: Originally posted by sja1951 on 23/10/2010

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Hi All,

Have just been informed by telephone from a friend in Portrush that there are now signs up at the Ramore Head carpark stateing that parking is only allowed for one hour between the hours of 9pm and 8am and no return within a certain period of time ! ! !

This will stop all our motorhomes parking there for free every weekend or even prevent us parking there while going for a meal locally after 9pm and it will also affect about 200 motorhomes that were parked there for the airshow weekend!

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I think that you will find that there have been notices up about overnight parking in Ramore head for quite a while now and long before airshow weekend. Obviously people in motorhomes have been blatantly ignoring them if there were over 200 parked there on airshow weekend. Road Services have obviously now felt it necessary to put up bigger notices (which have been there for a few weeks now) to empasise the point, not only in the car park but in some of the adjoining streets.

This has probably been brought about by the number of complaints from people not able to park cars in Portrush due to the number of motorhomes having taken over car parks in the area (and not just Ramore head). I think that you will find that the numerous objectors to motorhomes parking overnight in what is a car park, not an overnight motorhome stop, will far outweigh any objections from the people affected.

Fantastic news. 

We may be able to get parked in the carpark now and go for a meal in the restaurants.

The only motorhomers I have ever seen in Ramore carpark have sat in their vans eating and drinking the food they have brought with them, taking up at least 4 spaces at a time where 4 cars could have parked by people who actually do bring money into the town.

Even when you could get your car parked you didn't have a view of the sea because of a motorhome blocking it.  Also seen a lot of them letting their waste water just run out over the carpark.

Don't know what made motorhomers think this was a motorhome park (as this is what it had turned into).  It is actually a carpark and I for one am delighted that there are now signs up as it had got out of control, leaving no spaces for those it was actually intended for.

Well done Road Service, about time.

Totally agree with you NeeNaw NeeNaw

I remember at airshow there was a massive MH taking up 4 car spaces if not more.  Try parking in a space next to one and get dirty looks, as if how dare you park next to me! 

Why doesn't the council make another area for MH to park overnight and charge for this.

Quote: Originally posted by LobeyDosser on 23/10/2010 

As tourists with a campervan, we were made to feel very unwelcome in any town we visited with their dammed height barriers on every car park.

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We were there last Saturday and it was EMPTY.. Hardly any motor homes at all!!  No parking from 9pm to 9am so definately not welcoming motorhomes, it must have been a huge problem.  I do resent that we pay up to £25 a night in that area for the caravan, but having said that I don't think I'd like to sleep in a carpark!!

Wendy