Trial scheme for overnight campervan parking expected to start in March

Bruce Sinclair Local Democracy Reporter

A trial scheme for overnight motorhome and campervan parking close to the Fishguard ferry port is expected to be launched early in 2025.

Back in February, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet backed a proposal for a trial run ‘Pembs Stop’ scheme at four car parks: North Beach, Tenby; Goodwick Moor, Goodwick; Townsmoor, Narberth; and Western Way, Pembroke Dock.

The planned trial received national coverage, with a discussion on a phone-in programme on BBC Radio Wales.

But local tourism businesses said the proposals will harm them, and concerns about the trial were also raised by the official tourism industry group for Pembrokeshire, Visit Pembrokeshire.

Trial

Following that, a special council scrutiny committee meeting was held in April where the scheme was overwhelmingly rejected, which was later backed by the council’s Cabinet; instead agreeing to trial an overnight stopover facility for motorhomes at Goodwick Moor car park, linked to the ferry port, an idea which had gained some potential support at the April meeting.

That stopover facility will be for one night at a time, at £10 a night, 7pm-9am, the trial running for an 18-month period, with the potential to be extended to include Pembroke Dock’s Western Way car park later next year.

“Lessons learned”

Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said the trial would “balance the needs of local businesses against that of camper van users,” adding that campervans were already using the car park at Goodwick, the proposal would allow the council the opportunity “to regularise and influence” the existing situation and would “direct people from parking inappropriately”.

Members were told some 1,000 campervans were estimated to use the facility annually, and the council would seek to “uncover lessons learned” from a similar trial in Eryri.

The Goodwick trial is aimed to start in March, a spokesperson for Pembrokeshire County Council said, adding there may be a delay in a necessary traffic order for the scheme to progress.