Norfolk County Council have parking details/links for the county on their web site. The information includes details of the 6 Park & Ride sites conveniently situated around Norwich.
Breckland
On 19th September 2006 Breckland Council provided the following information:
Breckland Council Car parks are provided “free of charge” to support economic vitality of our town centres, i.e., only to encourage shopping visits. In the main, our sites are quite small and constrictive as you might expect in traditional rural market towns. Therefore the vast majority of our provision is for short stay (2 or 3 hours depending on location) so we do not provide any attached facilities beyond parking for any specific user. Bay layouts are designed for “motor car”; “motor cycle” & “invalid carriage”. The majority of our sites already have car park orders that prohibit sleeping/eating/cooking/overnight parking and this will be extended next year to all sites. I don’t believe that any of our restrictions were consciously made specifically against motorhomes, but that may appear to be the consequence of maximising the objectives of car use and shopping turnover.
Users of this web site have provided the following information:
Thetford
Tesco - room for van + small trailer. Sainsburys - I have parked tractor on trailer. Both have fuel & cafe. (Thanks to MK for this information, received on 28 October 2007).
Broadland
On 23rd August 2006 Broadland District Council provided the following information:
Car parks are located at:
Great Yarmouth
On 29th August 2006 Great Yarmouth Borough Council provided the following information:
Great Yarmouth Borough Council do not have any parking areas specifically for motorhomes, but they are permitted to park on our Car Parks as long as they are able to park within the confines of a bay. We have only two Car Parks that are height restricted, these are both on the seafront and are named North Drive and St. Nicholas. Most of our Car Parks are within a reasonable walking distance to a public toilet but I believe they do not have waste disposal facilities. I am also afraid our Parking Places Order also states that "No person shall use our Car Parks for sleeping or camping purposes or for eating or cooking purposes".
On 6th February, in response to a follow-up request, the Council said "We have size and weight restrictions on all of our main car parks, but generally we say 'if the motor home fits in the space and does not overhang the white lines, if will be allowed to park there'. If it does not fit these requirements, the only place that we will allow it to park will be Sandown Road Car Park (formerly Beach Coach Station). If, as we have in the summer months only, we have an inspector on duty, we will direct the drivers where to park. At other times, especially if it is the very large type of camper van, they will be able to park in the lorry park, costing £6 per day. At no time, in any of these parks, are they allowed to park overnight. This area has many camping sites nearby that will take the motor homes overnight and offer the facilities that they will require, i.e. washing and toilet contents disposal." The Council also provided a map showing car park locations. This can be download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format from Here.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council have further details on their web site Here.
Kings Lynn & West Norfolk
On 25th August 2006 Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council provided the following information:
King's Lynn Car parks (without height restriction barriers): Common Staithe Quay, Austin Street West. Austin Street East (2 designated motor home bays), Saturday Market Place, St James Court (narrow road), Tuesday Market Place, Baker Lane, Blackfriars Street, Juniper, Albert Street, Chapel Street (gravel car park so only 1 ticket would need purchasing), Surrey Street
King's Lynn Car parks (with height barriers 2.2m): Boal Quay (gravel car park), Old Cattle Market outside ground floor accessible but upper lever not as 2.1 height restriction on ramps.
If a motor home is parked on ASE car park in one of the designated bays then only 1 ticket needs to be purchased.
If a motor home is parked on a car park (subject to it being under 3010kgs), depending on how bays are utilised then a ticket should be purchased for each bay that the motor home is encroaching on/using.
We have toilets sited on Baker Lane and Tuesday Market Place/Common Staithe Quay car parks. The Old Cattle Market is next to Vancouver Bus Station where there are some toilets.
Waste disposal facilities are not available on any of our car parks including Hunstanton.
Overnight parking is not permitted if persons are intending on sleeping in their vehicles including Hunstanton.
Hunstanton Car Parks (without height restriction barriers): Central, North Prom, Heacham North (sand/gravel car park so only 1 parking ticket would need purchasing), Heacham South (sand/gravel car park so only 1 parking ticket would need purchasing)
Hunstanton Car Parks (with height restriction barriers): Seagate 2.20m, Southend 2.20m, Cliff 2.20m, South Prom 2.20m
Coach Park: Designated bays for motor homes, barriers are opened in the morning at 8.00am and closed at night at 6.00pm.
Toilets sited at Cliff car park, Central car park, Seagate and Heacham North and South.
Overnight stays not permitted if staying in the motor home.
On 12th December 2007 Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council confirmed that nothing has changed since August 2006 with the exception that there is now also a multi storey car park called St James which has a 2.20 m height restriction.
Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council has further parking details on its web site Here.
Users of this web site have provided the following information:
Hunstanton
Received 17 December 2006. There's a fantastic car park in Hunstanton, just between the town centre and Tesco. Dedicated motorhome spaces and closer to the town than the main car park! (Thanks to JC for this information).
Kings Lynn
Tesco - room for van + trailer (near Pizza Hut). Has fuel & cafe. (Thanks to MK for this information, received on 28 October 2007).
North Norfolk District
On 6th September 2006 North Norfolk District Council provided the following information:
1) Height restrictions - we do not operate with height restrictions as a general rule, albeit we do have one or two isolated ones. Also we have utilized a temporary restriction on 1car park for a fixed short term period in high summer.
2) Parking in bays - where a vehicle straddles more than one space there is an expectancy that 2 tickets should be purchased.
3) There are waste disposal facilities at, on or near all our car parks. Public Conveniences are also available at/on/or near to all car parks and also distributed at intervals throughout the communities.
4) Caravans are not permitted on our car parks. No specific provision for motorhomes, although our Runton Road Cliff car park is very well suited to motorhomes for 95% of the year.
5) There is free parking after 6pm daily on most car parks. We do not encourage overnight parking although it is not specifically excluded.
6) By their very nature, many remote rural locations afford narrow access roadways. These are all adopted highways and as such are accessible by most if not all vehicles albeit some would perhaps find it difficult to pass through if their drivers are not too confident.
North Norfolk District Council Council have further details on their web site Here.
Users of this web site have provided the following information:
Cromer
1)You used to be able to get into the big grass car park (Runton Road) on top of the cliffs but this July now has a height barrier - this may be the one that the council refers to as temporary for the high summer. If you are early you may squeeze into the tarmac section at the top end. If you follow the signs for the coach park there are a few spaces you can squeeze into. Alternatively follow the signs back out of Cromer towards Hol, and there is a Rainbow Coop Supermarket on an industrial estate which you could use, or park on the industrial estate at weekends. (Thanks to AV for this information, received 3 August 2007).
I contacted the Council to ask whether this was the temporary restriction referred to and received the following reply on 3 September 2007: "This is indeed correct – the Runton Road Barriers were only a temporary restriction to accommodate the safe setting up and dismantling of the preparations and aftermath of our Cromer Carnival. These barriers were once more removed last week. For the last several years now, we have adopted this strategy, covering a period of circa 4 weeks around the time of the Carnival."
2) Re 'temporary' height barrier on Runton Road, Cromer, we've just returned from a few days down there and the 2.1 metre height barrier is still there. (Thanks to PU for this information, received 7 April 2008).
3) Just been to Cromer again and the 2.1m barrier is still up at the Runton Road car park, however we did spot a motorhome in the car park as we were driving home so couldn't find out how it got in unless you have to ask at the cafe for access. (Thanks to AV for this information, received 6 May 2008).
Holt
On the main A148 there is a large lay-by / pull in about 200m outside the town going back towards King Lynn where you can park and easily walk into the town. 52"54'23.51"N 1"04'52.16"E (Thanks to AV for this information, received 6 May 2008).
Sheringham
Head for the cliff top car park, Cromer end and if you are early there are about 4 end bays that you would get away with, if around 6m long. (Thanks to AV for this information, received 3 August 2007).
Wells-next-the-Sea
Follow the signs to the Beach and Beach Car Park, this car park is a 15 minute walk from Wells centre down by the Beach and Pine Woods/Sand Dunes, will easily take a 6m van, longer in the end bays as they are only marked out with thin logs no white lines. (Thanks to AV for this information, received 30 August 2007).
Norwich
On 22nd September 2006 Norwich City Council provided a spreadsheet containing car park information. This can be download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format from Here.
1. Height restrictions. Please refer to the attached spreadsheet. Please also note that there is a weight limit of 35cwt on the Pay & Displays.
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). The parking orders in place for the off-street car parks specifically say that vehicle must be parked wholly within marked spaces. There are no large spaces to allocated to accommodate these vehicles so they would be contravening the parking order should they over-hang marked spaces, they would also almost certainly exceed the weight limit for the car parks.
3. Any provision of toilet and waste disposal facilities. Please refer to the attached spreadsheet.
4. Any provision of spaces specifically aimed at motorhomes and/or caravans. No.
5. Any provision for (or ban on) overnight parking. Overnight parking is allowed in Norwich Car Parks but the parking order prohibits people from sleeping, eating, camping or cooking in vehicles.
6. Restricted access caused by narrow roads/entrances. Please refer to the attached spreadsheet.
Norwich City Council have further details on their web site Here.
Update 2 July 2007:
Some time after the initial reply from Norwich City Council above it came to my notice that many other vehicles (e.g. large 4x4s) weigh in excess of 35 cwt (some of the largest 4x4s even being heavier than many motorhomes). A further request for information was sent to the council asking for clarification. The council responded as follows:
Thank you for your email dated 16 June 2007, requesting a copy of any information distributed to Norwich City Council car parking attendants to enable them to judge whether or not a particular vehicle should be issued with a PCN for exceeding the weight limit.
Norwich City Council Parking Attendants under-go training which includes classroom instructions. A vehicle's weight is often displayed on the plate of the vehicle, however, this plate is not required on private cars. The attendants are instructed on how to identify and deal with vehicles over the 35cwt weight limit.
We are fully aware of the weight of some of the modern cars. Norwich City Council are looking into its weight restrictions, to include 4x4. If the weight restrictions are changed, this will be advertised and the signs amended before parking enforcement recommences on this infringement.
With regards to the information provided in our earlier response to you (dated 22 September 2006), we have checked the parking order and note that Motorhomes are not permitted on any City Council Car Park and that the only car park in Norwich that could take a motorhome is the Clarence Road Regional CP site.
Please note the following extracts from the order below. A copy of the order and articles can be provided if required.
The parking is regulated by Article 9 and it says:-
'Where in column 2 of the schedule to the Order a parking place or part thereof is described as available for vehicles of a specific class or if a parking space is designated by surface or other markings as available for vehicles of a specific class then the driver of a vehicle shall not allow the vehicle to wait in that parking place unless that vehicle is of the specific class.'
The Schedule states as follows:
'Classes of vehicles: - a) Motor Cars as defined in section 136 of the Act of 1984 other than motor vehicles intended for use for living accommodation, or vehicles not having an unlade weight of 30cwt except for a public service vehicle with approval of an authorised officer of the Council.'
Please note that there are also other independent car parks within the city, which Norwich City Council does not hold the information.
Users of this web site have provided the following information:
Received 15 December 2006. Around Norwich there are 6 Park `n Ride sites (none have height barriers, up to 5 adults on parking ticket, after 12:30 very cheap!) and all are accessable and welcome motorhomes. Also in the link Here are the figures that are seen on the *V*ariable *M*essage *S*igns on the approaches leading into Norwich giving spaces remaining on the various parks. (Thanks to M for this information).
Received 13 April 2007. Suggest Postwick "Park and Ride"-signed just off A47 towards Yarmouth on East side of Norwich. No special bays,but parking on the most distant bays allows overhang-thus hopefully conforming to bay limits. Toilets,waste bins for small items-no liquid. No height barrier,good access. Good frequent bus service to Norwich-centre in 10 mins. Current charge £3.20 per day,reduced to £1.60 post 12.30pm. MUST REPORT TO OFFICE ON ARRIVAL TO BE DIRECTED TO BAY!!!. Normal bays not suitable and high vans block security cameras. Very helpful reception today - but already some have abused the rubbish disposal facilities - there's always one (or two). (Thanks to Len for this information).
South Norfolk District
South Norfolk Council (new window) have provided details of their car parks.
Return to Motorhome Friendly and Unfriendly Parking home page.
Last updated: 8 May 2008