‘Cater for campervans’ call from Collentine

A suggestion that a designated campervan parking site be provided in or near Mullingar was made at the most recent meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.

Behind the proposal was Cllr Bill Collentine, who said the town is missing an opportunity to tap into a growing market of domestic and international visitors.

The official written response from the district executive said there are no such plans at present, and pointed out that camping facilities are currently available at Lough Ennell Caravan and Camping Park and Derravaragh Holiday Park, both of which are promoted through VisitWestmeath.ie and Mullingar.ie.

Cllr Collentine criticised the response, saying the existing facilities are too far outside the town to meet the needs of campervan users.

“I’ve brought this up before. Mullingar is a large town and we’re surrounded by lakes – it’s a good area for tourism,” he said. “People in Mullingar have campervans, and they go to other towns where facilities are provided – sometimes all that’s needed is a gravelled spot where you can park and pay with a credit card.”

He said the council is missing a low-cost opportunity to encourage visitors to stop, spend money in local shops and restaurants, and enjoy the town on foot or by bike.

“These people usually have bikes on the backs of their vans. They don’t want to park three or 10 miles away. They want to stay close enough to walk or cycle into town,” he added. “It’s not about building a full campsite. Just provide a basic area where they can legally park overnight. No labour, no big expense.”

Cllr Aoife Davitt echoed Cllr Collentine’s concerns and said the answer provided may have misunderstood the intent of the motion.

“I think Cllr Collentine was talking about parking near the town centre, not miles outside it,” she said. “We’ve seen a growth in campervan tourism since Covid. Some people have sold their vans, others have upgraded – but it’s clear the industry has grown. There is an opportunity here.”

She added that such a facility could be considered as part of the Local Area Plan, and should be integrated into planning with appropriate cycling and walking links, or connectivity to town buses.

Cllr Ken Glynn also supported the motion and noted that while the Lough Ennell campsite is an excellent amenity, it doesn’t meet the specific demand Cllr Collentine described.

“When people hear about the Local Area Plan or the traffic plan, maybe that’s the time to make formal submissions,” he said.

Responding to the discussion, director of services Deirdre Reilly said there was “no issue” with campervans parking in Mullingar, but creating a dedicated service area – with water and waste facilities – would require zoning and significant investment.

“There is a huge maintenance cost to these sites,” she said. “It’s not something we’ve done previously, and it’s not necessarily the route we would take as a council. But we would support a private investor interested in developing such a facility.”

She said the council would continue to welcome all tourists to Mullingar and encouraged collaboration between elected members and the executive to explore further options.

Despite the official stance, Cllr Collentine remained firm in his belief that the town is missing out. “We badly need to accommodate these visitors. Let’s have a proper look at it,” he said.