Leicestershire County Council
On 17th July 2009 a request was sent to the council asking for details of on-street daytime parking which:
1) is able to be used for parking of motorhomes, including use of multiple bays if allowed
2) is not able to be used for parking of motorhomes
together with any restrictions (e.g. height, weight, length limits) which apply.
The council was also asked to supply details of those areas (if any) which may be used for overnight parking and whether or not sleeping/eating in the vehicle is allowed.
On 22nd July 2009, the Council provided the following information regarding on street parking:
Under the Road Traffic Act 1984, Highway Authorities may designate on-street parking places for use by particular types or class of vehicle, for instance disabled parking bays and taxi bays. I can confirm that at present, no such provision has been made specifically for the parking of motor-homes on any of the roads falling within the jurisdiction of Leicestershire County Council. Likewise, there are no restrictions which specifically prohibit the parking of motor-homes on the highway in Leicestershire.
On-street parking is regulated by Traffic Regulation Orders, which prohibit vehicles from waiting on certain lengths of road, or specify the maximum length of waiting or type of vehicle permitted to park within dedicated on-street parking bays. Motor-homes are not exempt from these restrictions and failure to comply with the restrictions may therefore result in the issue of a penalty charge notice from a Civil Enforcement Officer.
All vehicle owners (including motor homes) are required to observe the waiting restrictions and only park in those areas where parking is permitted. Motorists should always check the parking signs and road markings before parking their vehicle, and ensure that the vehicle is left in a position so not to cause an obstruction or inconvenience to other road users. Obstruction may constitute an offence under the Highways Act 1980 and enforcement action may be taken.
Details of on-street parking restrictions in Leicestershire can be viewed Here.
The parking of motor-homes on the highway is permitted so long as the vehicle is fully taxed, not in contravention of any Traffic Regulation Order and not causing an obstruction to the passage of vehicles or pedestrians along the highway or to/from a private access. It should also be noted that if a motor-home is to be parked within an on-street parking bay, the vehicle must fit within the confines of the bay and must display a valid permit (where necessary) and park for no longer than the period specified on any adjacent signs.
Motor-homes should not be parked on the footway unless there are traffic signs and road markings indicating that this is permissible.
With reference to overnight parking on the highway, motor-homes left on the highway shall be parked in the manner outlined above. In answer to your enquiry about overnight sleeping, the practice of camping, cooking and sleeping is not permitted in any of the council-owned car parks in Leicestershire. Whilst there are no such prohibitions relating to the use of on-street parking places, the police, local authorities and landowners do have powers to take action where any trespassers are camping on land unlawfully. This includes the public highway.
Under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, the Police and Local Authorities have powers to enforce the removal of unauthorised encampments. Section 77 of the Act states that enforcement action may be taken against persons residing in a vehicle on any land forming part of the highway, with penalties ranging from seizure of the vehicle, to fines or even arrest. Motor-home owners should be mindful of this when considering overnight parking arrangements.
Leicestershire County Council have parking details/links for the county on their web site.
Blaby
On 11th September 2006, Blaby District Council provided the following information:
Blaby District Council operates 22 car parks within its area. Further information on the location of these sites can be found on the Council's website Here.
All 22 car parks have dimension restrictions, which relate to height, width and length of vehicle, and all car parks require in bay parking.
The only car park with toilets available is Blaby, St Johns Court, however these toilets are only available during daytime.
None of the car parks have provision made for caravans or motorhomes, and there are maximum stay provisions which would not permit overnight parking.
On 17th March 2008, in response to a follow-up request, the Council provided the following information:
Blaby District Council operates 21 car parks within its area. Further information on the location of these sites can be found on the Council’s website (see the link above).
I can confirm that all 21 car parks have dimension restrictions, which relate to height, width and length of vehicle, and all car parks require in bay parking.
The only car park with toilets available is Blaby, St Johns Court, however these toilets are only available during daytime.
None of the car parks have provision made for caravans or motorhomes, and there are maximum stay provisions which would not permit overnight parking.
Charnwood
On 25th September 2006 Charnwood Borough Council provided the following information:
Charnwood Borough Council offers the following pay and display car parks in Loughborough with restrictions as detailed below: Browns Lane, Short Stay only for 2 hours; Granby Street, Short Stay only for 2 hours; Beehive Lane, height restriction 6'10''; Pinfold Gate; Southfields Extension; Macaulay House.
There are no toilet disposal facilities on site and we do not have bays marked specifically for motorhomes.
Further information can be found on the Council's website Here.
Parking must be done within the restrictions set for each car park - this includes parking within a marked bay. We will accept a vehicle parking over two pays e.g. for a long vehicle but two pay and display tickets must be purchased.
Free council car parks also operate at the following village sites: Syston, short stay; Sileby; Barrow; Quorn; Woodhouse; Anstey.
On 20th June 2008, in response to a follow-up request, the Council confirmed that the information above was still accurate with the exception that Granby Street time limit is now 3 hours. The Council also pointed out that the Parking Places Order stipulates that cooking and over night sleeping are not permitted in council car parks.
Harborough
On 7th September 2006, Harborough District Council provided the following information:
Height Restrictors - all vehicles entering the districts car parks should be no higher than 1.98 meters height restrictions are controlled by a mixture of fines and height restrictors at the entrance.
All parts of the vehicle must fit completely within the bays, bay dimensions are 2.4m x4.8m.
There are toilet facilities in 3 car parks: Orchard Road, Broughton Astley; The Commons car park, Market Harborough and George Street car park, Lutterworth. There are no waste disposal points in any of the car parks other than standard bins and recycling centres.
There are no special provisions for motor-homes or caravans in the car parks.
You can park overnight but cannot sleep in the vehicle, camping is strictly prohibited.
There are no narrow entrances in any of the car parks, but they are designed with cars in mind and all widths are appropriate to those vehicles.
On 20th March 2008, in response to a follow-up request, the Council provided the following information:
Unfortunately there are no car parks in the district set up for use by motor homes, there are restrictions on any vehicles over 1.98 metres in height, 5.5 metres in length and 2.5 metres in width parking or using the car parks and no camping is allowed in any Council run car park.
Harborough District Council have further details on their web site Here.
Users of this web site have provided the following information:
Market Harborough
1) None of the car parks in Market Harborough have height barriers, the best ones for motorhomes are the main Sainsburys car park where there are spaces to dump the rear end over, its a pay car park and motorhomes are in there often. The easiest for short stay is to use Lidl or Aldi's car parks both free for two hours, just adjacent to the Sainsburys one. (Thanks to AV for this information, received 3 August 2007).
2) A height barrier has been erected at the entrance to the Commons car park on Coventry Road - the entrance to the Co-op and Tesco's supermarket. That's on the west side of Mk. Harborough town centre (about 200 metres from the centre) on the A4304, signposted M1.
The Aldi site now has camera controlled parking and number plate capture. 1 hour 40 minutes is free then you get charged through the post a £70 excess charge but only £40 if you pay promptly. It is negated if you have spent £50 in Aldi. From Aldi you can walk down the riverside way (The Millennium Way) into the town centre (past Sainsbury's). 5 minutes if fit.
Lidl is still free but there is a sign saying they reserve the right etc if you are there longer than 1 hour 40 minutes. From the Lidl car park you can cross over the road to Aldi and then along the river bank (Millennium Way) past Sainsbury's into the town centre. 7 minutes if fit.
(Thanks to ML for this information, received 13 January 2009).
Hinckley & Bosworth
On 28th September 2006 Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council provided the following information:
1. Height barriers are 2.1m. There are only two car parks which do not have height barriers - Bus Station and Rear of Castle Street.
2. Should a vehicle take up two bays then 2 pay & display tickets must be purchased.
3. No facilities provided for waste, but public toilets are situated within the town centre at St Mary's Road.
4. No specific spaces marked for motorhomes and/or caravans.
5. Overnight parking is only available in the Bus Station Car Park.
6. The only restrictions at entrance/exit is height barriers.
On 30th May 2008, in response to a follow-up request, the council confirmed that the information above had not changed.
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council have further details on their web site Here. The council used to have a page of FAQs which includes information for Motorhomes but that appears to have been removed (checked 5 May 2011).
Leicester
On 30th August 2006 Leicester City Council provided the following information:
1. The majority of city council surface car parks have height restrictions.
2. Requirements for parking within bay confines (including any requirement for purchasing two parking tickets where the length of a vehicle means that it overhangs a second bay at its rear). Vehicles are expected to park in one defined parking space and not to overhang other bays.
3. There are no toilet or waste disposal facilities on the pay & display public car parks.
4. No spaces are specifically provided or aimed at motorhomes and/or caravans.
5. Any provision for (or ban on) overnight parking. There is not a restriction on overnight parking but users are restricted from using a vehicle or anything towed by a vehicle while in a parking place for domestic purposes or as a place of habitation.
6. Restricted access caused by narrow roads/entrances. Some of the car park accesses are tight for such large vehicles.
On 13th December 2007, Leicester City Council provided the following update:
The parking of motorhomes is not allowed in the car parks under the control of Leicester City Council Transport Development Section. Nor is sleeping / eating in the vehicle. You may wish to refer to our website for detailed information on a number of car parks with fees and height restriction details. With regard to the overnight parking: the car park at Lee Circle could be used which has height allowance for vehicles from 6'7" to 9'2".
Leicester City Council have further details on their web site Here.
On 13th March 2009, a request was sent to the Council asking if it was possible to park a motorhome at the P&R sites it provides. On 1st April 2009, the council replied:
The only Park and Ride site under the control of Leicester City Council currently is Meynell’s Gorse, Ratby Lane, Leicester. Unfortunately there is no provision for parking motorhomes. The Meynells Gorse Park and Ride operates Monday to Saturday. It is not suitable for overnight parking. Bay size is 2.5m by 5m approximately. The site has a height limit of 2.10m.
Users of this web site have provided the following information:
There is a new Park and Ride at Enderby, Leicester. Unfortunately it has a 2.1m height barrier. There are no provisions for admitting motorhomes. The car park apparently has an environment friendly drainage system and is block paved so cannot take 'heavy' vehicles. (Thanks to MT for this information, received 21 January 2010).
Melton
On 2nd October 2006 Melton Borough Council provided the following information:
1) There are no height restrictors at three of our car parks these are located at St Mary’s way car park, Wilton Rd car park and Mill St car park.
2) We would require you to purchase two tickets if your vehicle length means that it overhangs a second bay at the rear. ( two bays two tickets )
3) There are public toilets close by at St Mary’s way and Wilton Rd car parks.
4) There is no provision of spaces for motorhomes or caravans.
5) There is no ban on overnight parking, as long as a valid ticket is shown for the day time hours ( this may be reviewed )
6) There is no restricted access at the three car parks listed.
On 30th July 2008, in response to a follow-up request, the council provided the following information:
We have numerous car parks in Melton Mowbray including both short stay and long stay. All our bays are designed to accommodate cars only, but we do informally allow larger vehicles to park in multiple bays if the purchase multiple tickets. Two of our Long stay car parks have height barriers (Nottingham Road and Scalford Road) which would restrict some motor home access. We do not allow overnight sleeping in any of our car parks.
Melton Borough Council have a few more details on their web site Here.
North West Leicestershire
On 6th September 2006, North West Leicestershire District Council provided a list of car parks which can be download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format from here.
The council also provided the following information:
There is a requirement within the District's parking order for all vehicles to be parked 'wholly within a bay'. However the enforcement staff have been instructed to exercise discretion concerning motorhomes and caravans and will not issue penalty notices provided there is no obstruction. There is no requirement to purchase two tickets.
We do not have spaces specifically reserved for motorhomes or caravans.
There is not a ban on overnight parking - overnight sleeping is prohibited.
On 7th March 2008, in response to a follow-up request, the council confirmed that the information above had not changed.
North West Leicestershire District Council have further details on their web site Here.
Users of this web site have provided the following information:
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
You can park on the Royal Hotel Car Park - there are no line markings and it is just normal parking costs of 40p upwards. (Thanks to PG for this information, received on 24 July 2007).
Coalville
I own a van, that is my only means of transport, so I do get worried if I wish to go shopping anywhere normally, something that would not have worried me prior to November last year.
I have found since then that Morrison's in Coalville is good for parking and for Petrol. I try to park so that a smaller car can park behind me in the bays but I am Disabled and find that the Disabled Bays near the door will cope with my 17ft 6 length and I overhang no more than someone who has parked badly - actually a bad parker overhung far more than me last week. Also, Midlands Co-Op in town is not too bad but I do try to go when it is not busy. I have also been to Aldi and found that their Disabled bays take me well and, I am pleased to say, that was with very little overhang. Halfords is the same as well.
Tesco at Beaumont Leys on the city limits is, however, not as good. I have great problems parking there and often have to park in the Matalan Car park.
I often use the main car park in Coalville town, next to the Market, and, if I am unable to get in the Disabled spaces, I will follow the same procedure as for Morrison's. I have never been spoken to by anyone with regard to my parking so far but I visit so often that I think they are used to me. I sometimes use the car park that is accessed via the road at the back of Argos and was delighted when I was able to get my whole vehicle inside the bay. (Many thanks to JJ for this information, received on 2 March 2007)
Oadby & Wigston
On 3rd October 2006 Oadby & Wigston Borough Council provided the following information:
Oadby & Wigston Council's parking order, which apples to all of its car parks, prohibits the following: Sleeping, camping, eating, cooking and the washing of any part of a person.
Though we do not presently have any height restrictors in place we have in the past and may erect such in the future without notice.
We do not supply any provision for toilet and waste disposal.
Vehicles that exceed the bay lining are issued with a penalty notice.
There are no special provisions for large vehicles.
On 3rd July 2008, in response to a follow-up request, the council provided the following information:
The current regulations applying to motor homes for our district are:
Brooksby Drive/East Street Car Park, Oadby - In respect of that part of the north-eastern corner of the parking place, Monday to Saturday (inclusive), motor vehicles or vehicle combinations exceeding 1525 kg unladen weight shall be permitted to park for a maximum period of twelve hours between 7 pm and 7 am only.
In all other public car parks, and the remaining area of the above car park, no vehicle over 1525 kg unladen weight and 2m in height is permitted to park for any period and shall not exceed the bay markings.
Sleeping, camping, eating, cooking or washing of the person is prohibited in all of our public car parks.
There are no on-street parking areas designated for overnight parking.
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council have further details on their web site Here.
Return to Motorhome Friendly and Unfriendly Parking home page.
Last updated: 5 May 2011