End of the road for motorhome holidaymakers

It was up to the Harbour Company and not Galway City Council to regularise planning in order to facilitate holiday vehicles down at the docks, City Hall has insisted.

The local authority has come into the firing line of supporters of motorhomes after a notice was put up by the Harbour Company that power points along the docks could no longer be used.

These had originally been installed for boats but had become a de facto camping site as caravans, motorhomes and campervans pulled in, paid an overnight parking fee and powered up and filled their tanks with water.

Galway City Council issued a notice to the Harbour Company a month ago that it had not attained planning permission to install the power points. It advised the private authority that in order to have them available to the public it needed to go through the proper planning channels.

So far, the Harbour Company has suspended their use but not submitted an application, said a council spokesman.

“Galway City Council is only implementing the planning regulations. They do not have a vendetta or campaign against motor homes. The Council welcomes all visitors to the city and all types of tourists, but we have a range of responsibilities and this is a planning enforcement issue.”

The motorhome industry is estimated to be worth €3.3 billion annually in Europe and surveys have shown the owners spend an average of €38 per person a day in the local economy where they overnight.

The move has raised the hackles of two city councillors – Cllr Noel Larkin and Niall McNeilis.

“Facilities for motorhomes are widely available throughout Europe and are essential for tourists visiting Galway City. Lorient, Galway’s twin city, provides a choice of motorhome parking areas within its environs, as does the Alsace area in France, especially for those visiting Christmas Markets in the area,” exclaimed Cllr Larkin.

With the advent of low ferry fares to Ireland, the West of Ireland should be a major destination for motorhome tourists.

“What a ridiculous decision. Banning the parking of motorhomes in Galway City – the tourism capital of the West of Ireland.”

Colin McCarthy, honorary secretary of Phoenix Motorhome Club of Ireland, has launched a campaign to reverse the decision, including lobbying politicians, claiming it was clear discrimination against owners whose vehicles were taxed, insured and roadworthiness tested.

“Having communicated with a number of stakeholders with an interest in the current situation none can see any substance to the arguments put forward by Galway City Council to date and many are left with the perception that there is another unspoken agenda at work,” he stated.

The January edition of the Motorcaravan Motorhome Monthly (MMM) – the UK and Ireland’s largest circulation magazine for motorhome enthusiasts – includes news of the Galway City regulation, just as people will be planning their 2015 holidays.

The council spokesman pointed out that a camping park was operated privately beside the Galway Golf Course where these vehicles could charge up.

Following summer 2009, a byelaw was passed banning caravans, campervans and motorhomes from overnight parking along ‘the Prom’ in Salthill after councillors complained they had hijacked the beachside suburb’s parking preventing locals and visitors from enjoying the facility.

“It’s like asking why is the City Council not providing WiFi from a Jacuzzi in a hotel. It’s not our business. These are private operators. We are not in the business of providing power points for caravans.”

Calls to the Harbour Company were not returned.