A TRIAL allowing motorhome users to sleep overnight in some car parks across the South Hams has seen more than 1,400 stays recorded in the first year.

The district council launched the scheme in five of its car parks, including Leonards Road, Ivybridge, in May 2021 in a bid to improve local tourism following the covid pandemic.

It costs £10 to stay the night, plus additional charges for daytime parking, and all vehicles must be self-contained with washing and toilet facilities.

As well as encouraging people to visit and boost the local economy, the trial has generated an extra £14,010 for the council.

Cllr Keith Baldry, the executive member responsible for car parks, hailed the trial a success and said it had been praised by users of the service.

“We didn’t do it to make money but it has made a bit more than we expected,” he said.

“The main purpose of the trial was to encourage people to come to our lovely South Hams in their motorhomes and to spend their money locally, and people, on the whole, have enjoyed doing that.”

The top number of stays was at Longmarsh on the banks of the River Dart in Totnes which recorded 934 – making it by far the most popular location. Also taking part in the scheme were the Park and Ride, Dartmouth; Cattlemarket, Kingsbridge; and Poundwell Meadow, Modbury.

Leonards Road, Ivybridge recorded 48 motorhome stays during the trial.

Cllr Baldry said the town was an ideal base from which to visit Dartmoor.

“I was hoping for a few more in Ivybridge and I would hope we get a greater number as people get used to it because it’s perfectly situated to visit the moors, and the town itself has everything a motorhome visitor could need in terms of shops, eateries and pubs.”

There have been no complaints from local businesses or residents, apart from a few in Totnes where some overnighters have been going to the loo in the bushes, said Cllr Baldry.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “We haven’t had any complaints from anywhere except from a few people in Totnes at the Longmarsh Car Park who said some people were stopping there and performing in an antis-social way in the bushes, which is contrary to what we wanted.

“We are going to increase the enforcement of the regulations about being self contained motorhomes.

South Hams councillors are due to decide whether to carry on with the trial, make it permanent or even extend it to other car parks when they meet in the autumn.

Cllr Baldry said: “I personally want to continue it and encourage more people to come and visit the South Hams.”