Highland Council relax licensing regs to allow for motorhome sites

Landowners are being encouraged to take advantage of relaxed licensing regulations and provide campervan stopover sites.

Highland Council are bringing in the temporary measure in the hope people will see the economic benefit of introducing continental style motorhome sites.

It will allow suitable sites to accommodate campervans for overnight stops without the need for formal planning permission.

They are believed to be the first local authority in the UK to do this in order to create a Highland style 'Aire' - or 'Àirigh' as it'll be known in the region.

'Àirigh' is the Gaelic for a shelter, traditionally used by shepherds to be flocks outside during the summer months.

Chair of the Council’s Tourism Committee, Cllr Gordon Adam says demand for travelling via motorhome across the Highlands has "intensified" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said: "The Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to a temporary relaxation of planning controls allows The Highland Council to consider temporary use of appropriate locations for overnight stops in motorhomes without formal planning permission.

“To mitigate some of the problems experienced in the summer of 2020, temporary ‘Àirigh’ will offer a safe, off-road location for motorhomes to park for the night and help alleviate parking problems experienced in rural areas.

"Aires are used all over Europe and Àirigh could offer an opportunity to assist the economic recovery in Highland.

"We encourage any community groups or landowners that may have suitable land to submit a short enquiry form to the Council’s planning team."

Chair of the Council’s Communities and Place Committee, Cllr Alan Henderson added: "Dedicated motorhome parking areas are provided in many European countries and these bring welcome tourists into well-known and undiscovered areas alike.

"Aires make suitable night stops all year round.

"The Highland ‘Àirigh’ symbolise the freedom of motorhoming and reflects the way people are choosing to holiday.

"This approach is necessary in Highland to allow us to adapt to the increased popularity of this type of travel and to mitigate the problems experienced in many communities from overnight parking in unsuitable places and congestion caused in ‘beauty spots.'"

The temporary relaxation of planning control will be kept under continual review and will remain in place until 31 December 2021 or until the requirements for physical distancing have been removed.

Highland Council has created a landowner guide to create temporary motorhome stopovers.

More details on how to do this can be found here