A CONVOY of campervans will travel from La Collette to St Ouen’s Bay next month as part of a protest against the government’s lack of action to identify new sites for the recreational vehicles.
The event, which is being organised by Paul Hymas, a spokesperson for the campervan community, will take place at 11am on 11 June starting outside the Infrastructure Department before driving along the Avenue, up to St Peter and finishing at Le Port car park in St Ouen’s Bay.
Last week, the government announced a year-long overnight parking trial at Le Port which will allow Islanders to book one of four spaces from 9pm until 9am.
However, they can make a booking only 48 hours before they want to park and can book for only one night in every seven.
Mr Hymas said the trial had been ‘set up to fail’ and was ‘laughable’.
He added that it had been almost three years since the States Assembly backed Senator Steve Pallett’s proposition for new sites to be investigated – after a crackdown on overnight stays in the popular Le Port parking area.
Mr Hymas has called on the next Infrastructure Minister to work with the campervan community to identify suitable solutions.
‘We want to use the protest to send a clear message that we are not happy with the scheme. There has been no consultation on this and the next minister needs to engage with us by holding a public meeting,’ he said.
‘In three years they have not found any alternative sites and the current scheme, which only has four spaces, has been forced upon us,’ he added.
At the end of last year, Nigel Godfrey, operating director of pub and restaurant chain Randalls, said the company had considered allowing some of its car parks to be used for overnight campervan stays.
He said that Randalls were still ‘very much open’ to the idea, but were yet to receive any feedback from the States on whether overnight parking at their properties would be allowed.
Mr Hymas has called on the government to engage with Randalls to allow them to offer up campervan parking.
He added: ‘I would encourage anyone and everyone to come down to the protest next month. We want to show current and future politicians that this issue isn’t going away and is only gaining momentum from the campers and the majority of the public.’
