From April to September this year, people who own a campervan will be able to enjoy overnight parking in Girvan and Ayr, subject to the latest travel advice.
The trial scheme, which is being introduced to encourage tourism in the area, will run at Knockcushan Street Car Park in Girvan, and Blackburn Road Car Park in Ayr.
There will be twenty designated campervan parking bays at each location. These can be used for overnight parking (6pm-9am) at a cost of £5 per campervan, paid via a cashless parking system.
As part of the trial, any campervan staying overnight must leave by 9am the next day, and can’t return for 24 hours. No caravans are allowed in the parking bays and those in campervans will not be able to set up tents or awnings, or run generators outside their vans.
Temporary waste disposal facilities will be introduced, and those staying overnight in Girvan will have access to on-site public toilets and washroom facilities. There are nearby public toilets at Blackburn Road in Ayr, but site-specific facilities could be introduced if the trial scheme proves successful.
With the arrival of the new campervan parking bays, signage will be introduced to help enforce no overnight parking regulations along the Esplanade in Ayr, Louisa Drive and Harbour Street in Girvan, as well as some other nearby streets. Fixed penalties will be issued to anyone who chooses to ignore the regulations.
To ensure the sites are used properly, fixed penalty notices may be issued to anyone who uses the designated campervan bays for any vehicle other than a campervan or motorhome.
Kevin Carr, Assistant Director, Place Directorate at South Ayrshire Council said: “With more and more people set to holiday at home this year, we want to be on the front foot and ensure visitors have the best experience possible. Having designated sites means we can provide facilities and limit any impact on the surrounding landscape.
“This trial is also about managing visitors and preventing overnight parking on surrounding streets. We want as many people as possible to be able to make use of these bays, this is why we’ve specified that visitors must vacate the space by 9am the following day and not return within 24 hours. Officers from the Ayrshire Roads Alliance will monitor the sites to ensure this is the case.”
During the trial, feedback from those using the scheme, as well as the views of locals will be captured for evaluation. Full details of how to have your say will be made available by the Council and the Ayrshire Roads Alliance in due course.