New campers and rooftop tents: from quick-deploy to automatic

The High Court of England has granted a temporary injunction against the construction of a residential caravan site on land adjacent to a traveller community in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire. Work to lay hardstanding and erect fencing began over the bank holiday weekend of May 23–24 without planning permission. The injunction, obtained by South Cambridgeshire District Council, also prohibits the stationing of caravans or mobile homes on the site, which lies within the Cambridge Green Belt. The council suspects the work was timed to coincide with office closures and plans to seek further hearings.

Campsites are adopting digital booking platforms, contactless check-ins, and EV charging points to meet changing visitor expectations. The Camping and Caravanning Club predicts 'camping goes electric' as a key trend. The challenge remains balancing modern connectivity with the traditional appeal of disconnecting during outdoor holidays.

Hill of Oaks holiday park on Lake Windermere has started building six luxury lodges. Two developments, Wavell Way (four lodges) and Wakefield Height (two lodges), are replacing former touring caravan pitches and a manager's bungalow. The project follows low-impact tourism principles established by the park's founder, Sir Wavell Wakefield.

Ty Gwyn, a North Wales holiday park operator, reported that all lodges, caravans, and touring pitches at its new Fishpool Holiday Park in Delamere, Cheshire, were booked for the first two weeks of May. The opening followed the site's acquisition and two months of renovations, including new lodges and caravans, landscaping, and a dog walk. The company attributes high demand to UK holidaymakers choosing domestic trips due to foreign travel uncertainty and cost-of-living concerns. Some lodges are solar-powered, and an EV charging station is available on site.

A Dunfermline resident claimed he saw the then first minister in a supermarket in 2022, near the house where a £124,550 campervan was parked. Nicola Sturgeon insists she only learned of the vehicle's existence in early 2023, when it featured in a police investigation. Her husband Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling over £400,000 from the SNP, with funds used to purchase the campervan and luxury items, including Montblanc pens.

UK-based Wellhouse Leisure unveiled a micro camper based on the Toyota Pixis Mega (also sold as Daihatsu Wake). Designed for solo travelers, it features a fold-out bed, compact kitchen, pop-up roof, solar panel, and portable toilet. Priced at £17,995 (approx. $3,500), it costs less than half of Wellhouse's larger motorhomes.