Probably the 1st new Aire in Dartmoor National Park !!!

[DevonDavid]

It's only taken since Feb 2021 but I've finally got the owner of Wrangaton Golf Club to allow overnight stays on the car park. The golf club closed last year with no buyer so the owner is repurposing the site. He has slightly jumped the gun and arranged for a parking management company to erect ANPR camera monitoring and payment before telling me....
So it's a basic aire with no services at present but he is willing to see how it goes before spending on services linked to the locked up clubhouse.

The clubhouse and cafe will probably be leased out and he will want to see what happens there before committing to services. It would be good if the site is made into a "destination" , perhaps with bike hire, suggested hiking /biking trails, etc, etc....

I have made numerous suggestions to the owner to make it a proper aire, mainly signage to avoid abuse and anti-social behaviour. I would really like it to become an example to DNPA for what an aire could be so they allow more across the park. The owner tends to do things his way so I can only hope he takes my advice, we shall see........

Meanwhile I have placed it on Search for Sites

[Steve]

Great news

Two points, does he have a site license to allow overnight stays ?
https://www.camprarally.org.uk/document ... ficate.pdf

We now have a company looking at remotely operating Aires in the way that camping car parks do.

He can also get a QR code payment and vehicle registration system from https://airestop.co.uk/campra-ref.

But mainly check that they have a site license or they can apply for an exemption certificate from CAMpRA

https://www.camprarally.org.uk/contact-us.html

[DevonDavid]

The landowner is a little vague on the legality of overnight sleeping. When the golf course was operating up to approx 100 cars were able to park and he is thinking that will do ......!

I'm in continuing discussion with him to ensure it all goes smoothly and to continue to do so !!

[Steve]

This is our guide,

Applying for an Exemption Certificate.pdf

(119.89 KiB) Downloaded 1102 times

[DevonDavid]

The owner continues to do his own thing...... The property is on/off the market......

Meanwhile it is being used and some reviews have been left in SFS.

[gwalters]

It's only taken since Feb 2021 but I've finally got the owner of Wrangaton Golf Club to allow overnight stays on the car park. The golf club closed last year with no buyer so the owner is repurposing the site. He has slightly jumped the gun and arranged for a parking management company to erect ANPR camera monitoring and payment before telling me....
So it's a basic aire with no services at present but he is willing to see how it goes before spending on services linked to the locked up clubhouse.

The clubhouse and cafe will probably be leased out and he will want to see what happens there before committing to services. It would be good if the site is made into a "destination" , perhaps with bike hire, suggested hiking /biking trails, etc, etc....

I have made numerous suggestions to the owner to make it a proper aire, mainly signage to avoid abuse and anti-social behaviour. I would really like it to become an example to DNPA for what an aire could be so they allow more across the park. The owner tends to do things his way so I can only hope he takes my advice, we shall see........

Meanwhile I have placed it on Search for Sites
dotbigotzyvy.net

That sounds like a great step forward! It's always encouraging to see initiatives like this taking shape, especially in areas where dedicated aires are sorely lacking. It’s a smart move to start small and see how it goes before investing heavily in services—testing the waters makes sense, especially with a site like this that has so much potential.

Your suggestions for making it a proper aire are spot on. Signage and some basic facilities would go a long way to deter misuse and make it appealing for visitors. And turning it into a ‘destination’ with bike hire and trail options could really elevate its appeal, especially for outdoor enthusiasts.

Let’s hope the owner sees the value in those ideas. It could set a fantastic example for DNPA and maybe even encourage more similar projects across the park. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for it on Search for Sites—fingers crossed it takes off!

[DevonDavid]

There have been several favourable reviews in SFS, which is encouraging. The narrow last part of the access lane looks worse than it is as it is the leafy part of the hedge which can brush passing vehicles, so non-marking. The hedge is not owned by the aire owner , and there is no hurry to give it a trim, unfortunately...!!