Motorhomes banned from overnight stays at Aviemore Primary School's car park
Highland Council has banned overnight stays for motorhomes in the car park at the largest primary school in Badenoch and Strathspey.
An increasing number of motorhomes and campervans had been using the parking area as a make-shift stop-over at Aviemore Primary School since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic during the main tourism season.
The school's parent council had raised concerns that the car park's use by the large vehicles was posing a danger to children.
It was also making parking and negotiating the area more difficult for parents, staff and users of the Aviemore Community Centre which shares the site with the school.
The local authority erected parking notices at the end of last week restricting the use of the car park.
There are now terms of use on new notices at the site.
It states amongst the conditions: "Parking of vehicles manufactured for or adapted for the purpose of sleeping between the hours of 1800 and 0800."
The council has the power to remove vehicles which are in breach of the conditions and to issue penalty charges.
There had been as many as 10 motorhomes and campervans parked up in the car park at times this summer – mainly at the far end away from the school where it is easier for larger vehicles to park without blocking the road lanes.
Parent council committee member Rayna McAllister has welcomed the restrictions being put in place. She said: "I personally do not feel it is appropriate to have multiple campervans set up camp in what is a designated school car park.
"I counted 10 of them on one morning walking with my grandson Lochlan to school and this wasn't the first time.
"This problem will only grow unless it is nipped in the bud now and it did not happen pre-Covid."
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: "We have a general policy of prohibiting motorhomes and caravans from using council operated car parks overnight.
"This car park is relatively new and we have reacted to concerns expressed by the school in recent weeks and erected signage to inform users.
“The council does offer a few short-stay stop-over sites at 12 car parks around Highland to help with rural pressures. Aviemore is not one of them.”
