A PETITION calling for campervans to be banned outside of designated zones in Scotland has been relaunched after MSPs were forced to reject it last term due to a lack of parliamentary time.
Robin Pettigrew, a former chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, launched the petition last October, calling for the measure as part of strengthening the Scottish Outdoor Access Code to make it enforceable.
Pettigrew lives in the village of Lochcarron on the NC500 route and regularly witnesses how the code is “routinely ignored” by irresponsible tourists. He feels that dedicated enforcement teams are needed and fines should be introduced for violations of the code.
The petition received more than 1100 signatures last time but MSPs agreed they had "no alternative" but to reject it in January due to a lack of parliamentary time remaining ahead of the election.
Pettigrew was, however, urged to bring the petition back when Parliament reassembled, as then petitions committee chair Jackson Carlaw said it was a "serious issue worth exploring".
Pettigrew has now relaunched the campaign insisting progress towards a model like the New Zealand freedom camping initiative is urgently needed.
He told The National: "Following the advice of the petitions committee and considerable media attention about the irresponsible and destructive behaviour by a large minority of vehicle based visitors, I have resubmitted my petition to review, strengthen and bring into law the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
"Clearly it is no longer fit for purpose and does not reflect the current level and type of tourism.
"Although I have no desire to adversely effect the Right of Reasonable Access, I believe that we urgently need to progress towards a model such as the New Zealand Freedom camping model.
"The destruction, pollution and fire damage is not acceptable."
New Zealand has designated freedom camping areas where people can park for free in self-contained vehicles.
Freedom camping is considered camping in a tent, campervan or motor vehicle on public land, on a site with minimal or no facilities, such as toilets or showers.
There are more than 500 freedom camping locations in New Zealand and people must follow some basic rules and regulations when staying overnight. If a vehicle is not self-contained, tourists have to park at a campsite with facilities.
Pettigrew's petition sets out how ecosystems are collapsing under “unsustainable pressure”, wildfires are destroying habitats and emergency services are being blocked from carrying out their duties by illegally-parked vehicles in tourism spots.
Motorhome firm Roam N’ Roost in Drumoak, Aberdeenshire, came out against the petition, suggesting it would deal a “major blow” to small businesses and rural tourism.
The Scottish Government said it considers the creation of a new team with enforcement powers may create confusion over roles and implicitly a less effective response to code infringements.
Pettigrew told The National last year the narrative of the code is often “twisted” by tourism promotional organisations and the “powerless” nature of it has led to people parking directly in front of people’s houses, in graveyard car parks and blocking lay-bys.
He said the code is not fit for purpose following a spike in the popularity of the NC500 route post-lockdown, adding communities are now “completely overwhelmed” by the number of tourists in campervans.
He spoke to the BBC earlier this week about the growing problem of roadside toileting on the route and was asked whether there were existing powers to tackle the problem.
He said: "There's a very small number of police up here covering hundreds and hundreds of square miles.
"We have a very small ranger service who do a very good job but they have no powers of enforcement, no teeth."
He went on: "I think there are generally enough facilities and people are not using them. If you talk to the campsite owners, there's some of the campsites up here in mid-season which are working at half-occupancy levels.
"So people aren't going on to the campsites to use the facilities."
