Height Barriers

We've recently completed a road trip along the east coast, from Norfolk up to Northumberland, and excellent it was too in these strange times ... but with one exception, namely the increasing scourge of height barriers.  We found that new barriers had been installed at many coastal car parks.  We tend to check out parking locations beforehand, using Google satellite imagery and Street-view to check for barriers. Many locations that appeared online to be free of them turned out to have shiny new barriers when we arrived and local parking officials told us it was a direct response to the explosion in wild camping during the pandemic, with litter and unmentionables left behind in its wake. How sad, makes you feel so proud (not).

Does anyone use an App or other online resource that keeps reasonably up-to-date with parking location status for higher vehicles?  Something along the lines of the Filllpg tool used for finding LPG pumps would be ideal. If one doesn't exist then maybe I ought to start one. A new project for the next lockdown perhaps?!

Tim

Parkopedia is another one you can try, and it does have height restrictions on, but is updated by users so may not be up to date.

Mike

Thanks Paul and Mike.  Will try out those resources on future trips.

Tim

Don't even think of visiting Shrewsbury then, used to be a favorite place, after this week's experience, it'll never see me again!

Hi Paul

This was at 2 of the P&R's, barriers on both. No bus drivers in sight and, to be honest, it wouldn't have occurred to me to ask one to open them! (apart from anything else, could be fun trying to get out again!)

Gave up after 2 of the (?) 4.

Experience has taught us to be very wary of P&R with the van. Our default is to assume there will be height barriers unless we can establish beyond all doubt that there are none. Some local authorities are better than others at describing their car parks and stating whether there are barriers. 

Tim

What was galling was that I did some research long before leaving home, went to the Shrewsbury car parks part of their website, specifically to look for height barriers. No mention that I could find anywhere. Sent an email to the department, as completely expected, no reply.
Got to the location (s) to find height barriers, with no signs that either of us could see as to alternatives, just the barrier height.

Another and quite new one is a real pain, the nearest P&R to the Brittany Ferries terminal at Portsmouth. Only recently installed, we have used same car park several times in the past. Idea being (NOT NIGHTSTOP in car park) to arrive well early then use P&R to spend day in Portsmouth, then very short drive to ferry terminal avoiding all traffic risks. Now impossible due to barrier. So Portsmouth loses circa £50 every time we use the ferry to Spain, we just park in the ferry terminal now