Traveller family defends bid for caravans on protected land in Kent

A campervan overturned on the eastbound carriageway of the M3 in Surrey on September 19 at around 12:25pm. A female passenger was taken to hospital; her condition has not been released. The carriageway was temporarily blocked, with two lanes closed before Junction 2 where the M3 meets the M25 at Junction 12. Traffic queued for about eight miles, with delays stretching back to Junction 3. The road was cleared by 3:16pm.

UK-based Runaway Conversions has converted a Volkswagen Crafter 4Motion into the Quest camper van. The vehicle features a 20mm Altvan lift kit, all-terrain tires, a bullbar with two light pods, and a Mule roof rack with 600W solar panels and a StarLink antenna. The interior includes bamboo finishes, a kitchen with a 110-liter fridge and induction cooktop, a bathroom with shower and toilet, and a transverse bed. The 24V power system comprises two 460Ah Fogstar batteries and a 5,000W inverter; water tanks are 100 liters fresh and 60 liters grey. A Truma Combi heater enables year-round use.

A Cyngor Gwynedd councillor, Cae Larsen, will propose a motion at the full council meeting on 24 September calling for action to bring inappropriate parking and overnight stays by motorhomes and campervans under better control. The motion notes rising numbers of such vehicles parking in lay-bys, car parks and coastal areas to avoid paid campsite fees. Issues have been reported at Llyn Padarn in Llanberis, where eight Arosfan van stop spaces are outnumbered by vans in adjacent bays, as well as a coastal stretch north of Dinas Dinlle and Bala lake. Complaints have also concerned Beach Road East car park in Hirael Bay, Bangor, where a height restriction barrier was removed during work; the council urged responsible parking and said the barrier will return. The motion acknowledges visitors' economic contribution but expresses concern over pressure on sensitive areas and constraints on enforcement capacity.

Kings Down Tail Ltd has submitted plans to East Devon District Council to install 59 static caravan bases and create a spa and gym at Kings Down Tail Caravan and Camping Park in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth. The scheme includes demolishing an existing shower block, converting a building with a swimming pool into a spa, gym and relocated reception, and adding new access roads, parking, drainage and landscaping (143 new trees, around 463m of native hedgerow, over 3,000sq m of meadow planting). Of the 59 bases, 43 are on land with existing static caravan permission, eight are new in the north-west field, and retrospective permission is sought for eight existing bases. The applicant says all caravans would be for holiday use only and would accept a planning condition.

Oxfordshire police have recovered a caravan seven years after it was stolen from Nottinghamshire in 2019. The white caravan was found in the Banbury area on Thursday, September 17, during proactive checks of caravans and leisure vehicles. In July, Thames Valley Police found a caravan stolen from Germany, and the previous month another was found near Banbury railway station, reported stolen from Hampshire in 2019.

The owners of two caravan parks in Ceredigion have received awards for both sites. Wern Mill Caravan Park was named Best Coastal Caravan Park 2026 in West Wales at the Welsh Enterprise Awards, and also received a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award for 2026 and an ‘Outstanding Site for 2026’ rating from Campsites.co.uk with a score of 4.93 out of five and a 98 per cent would recommend approval rating. Its sister park Llanina Caravan Park, which opened in March 2026, has been awarded a five-star rating by Visit Wales. Both parks are run by the Evans family.