Where Can Someone Who Lives In A Camper Van Park Up In Lockdown

[Jaidyn]

My son plans to live in France eventually and planned to meander down there in a camper van - in preparation last summer he put his home on the market -it’s sold quite quickly but it has dragged on and on and completed eventually last week - after week in a hotel he has bought a camper van to live in and eventually travel to France in
We just need somewhere for him to park up -preferably in a site - we live in Norfolk - near Norwich -I assume there must be somewhere where similar van livers are able to park up just for a few weeks until we eventually end lockdown - he. Is able to pay rent ? Any ideas ?

[Maydup]

Its not easy in lockdown as all the sites are closed and would be so in the winter anyway. My relative was in a smiliar situation between houses and ended up on a site 80 miles away from us in Norwich as the only place that would take someone for more than the usual 3 weeks.

I can only suggest putting something on local social media appealling to someone willing to let him stay on their land or in their garden. Does a friend or relative have a driveway he could park on?

[Maydup]

I suppose he could check out the travellers sites? Just googles travellers sites in Norfolk. There are a few but I dont know anything about them.

[Buenchico]

All of the travellers' sites in Norfolk (just like everywhere else in the country) will have a waiting list that's probably several years long. Trying to get a pitch on a travellers' site is like trying to get a council house; there are all sorts of hoops to go through, with families with young children (for example) taking priority on the lists.

Further, to the best of my knowledge, Norfolk hasn't got any 'transit' sites for travellers to use for relatively short periods of time. (Local authorities are meant to provide them but hardly any do. The only sites that they have are for semi-permanent occupation so that, for example, travellers' children can go to the same school for several years).

As Maydup says, very few campsites are open this time of the year, even when there aren't any problems with Covid rules. Currently though, all campsites have been required to close unless, perhaps, they're providing accommodation to essential workers who need to move across the country.

Campsites which are notionally open in Norfolk at this time of year are listed here:
https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=385&rg=East%20Anglia
However those are just listings providing the usual opening dates of the sites. They don't take account of the current lockdown situation. It might still be worth phoning around those which are listed as being open anyway, to enquire if they can accept a booking from someone who is effectively between homes. (Hotels, etc, are permitted to accept such bookings, so you might find a campsite offering similar flexibility).

Otherwise, as Maydup says, it will have to be an informal arrangement, with your son parking his van on someone's driveway (or similar).

[bhg481]

The Camping and Caravan Club have a site at Sandringham which is open.

[Vagus]

If he does find someone willing to let him park on their drive, there will be the issue of toilet emptying, grey water emptying, and fresh water filling.
I’m surprised there’s a site open at Sandringham.

[bhg481]

I just checked the site and it opened on Feb 1st according to the website.
There are rules about living in a caravan that's not an an authorised site so you will need to check with the local council if you intend to go that route.

[barry1010]

I've just tried to book the Sandringham site and it won't let me - no pitch available

[Vagus]

Is that because it’s full or closed?
I’m really puzzled if it is open and has been since 1st Feb, given that restrictions are still in place.

[AuntPollyGrey]

His best idea would be to try and rent a flat/house short term as his idea of travelling through France 'in a few weeks' is optimistic to say the least. there a re plenty of holiday cottages around here where the owners are willing to drop prices for a monthly rent and I'm sure there must be the same in Norfolk. Its not against covid rules to rent out property.

[Buenchico]

For clarification of some of the above posts:

ALL sites operated by the Camping and Caravanning Club are currently closed:
https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/helpandadvice/travelplanning/coronavirus/
(Individual sites might not have updated their websites though, which would explain why they're still showing their normal opening periods).

The same applies to sites operated by the Caravan and Motorhome Club:
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/reopening-our-campsites/