Pitchup.com, the UK’s leading outdoor accommodation booking platform, is pleased to see the Scottish Government is continuing to encourage relaxed planning control until September 2022.
Besides opening up outdoor travel to a completely new segment of campers, the news will be a tremendous boost to support the local rural economy which has faced significant challenges during the pandemic.
The news makes it easier for holiday parks to stay open beyond their usual season to accommodate increasing numbers of holidaymakers looking to travel in shoulder season.
It’s also great news for temporary ‘pop-up’ campsites, most of which only opened in the past two years, as they can now open for longer than the 28 days stipulated under the usual rules. Many such sites have sprung up on working farms helping to supplement incomes, and the halo effect of the additional footfall has been welcomed by rural communities.
In normal times, temporary campsites can open for no more than 28 days. However, a much-needed lifeline was thrown to small campsites and farms during the pandemic when planning authorities were directed to allow reasonable temporary breaches and, for the time-being, this will continue to be the case in Scotland.
In contrast, permitted development rights in England reverted to 28 days (from 56 days) on 31st December 2021, while Wales is currently consulting on a permanent extension to 56 days.
Importantly for Scotland, which proved to be extremely popular for motorhome and campervan trips in both 2021 and 2020, local authorities such as The Highland Council and South Ayrshire Council can also now continue to offer car parks or other appropriate locations for overnight stops.
The creation of these ‘aires’, as they are known in Europe, helps to mitigate the impact of increased holiday traffic in areas that have become increasingly popular without the need for permanent infrastructure, and France already has over 6,000.
Last year, campsites popped up at various locations across the country ranging from livery yards and orchards to country parks and estates.
The welcome announcement from the Scottish Government offers the prospect of another successful season in 2022, and plenty of scope for holidaymakers to explore a new part of the country.
It also provides opportunity for farmers and landowners yet to take the plunge with a temporary campsite to consider their options for 2022.
Pitchup.com has created an online tool using data from over 2 million bookings to help those considering their options to work out just how much they could expect to make.