E-scooters and E-bikes could be banned from ABC Council-run caravan and glamping sites at Gosford Forest Park, Clare Glen and Kinnego Marina.
Anyone booking the facilities at present are subject to terms and conditions.
And now Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is reviewing those terms – with one major change proposed.
It comes after “considerable damage” was caused when an E-scooter crashed into a caravan at Gosford.
The council’s environment committee will be asked to impose a ban on E-scooters and E-bikes from the camping and glamping sites at the three Co Armagh attractions.
A paper to go to committee tonight (Tuesday) explains the reason – and need – for such a change, describing their use as a “risk to other visitors and to property”.
It states: “In 2025, a number of incidents arose, particularly at Gosford Country Park, regarding the use of E scooters in and around the campsite.
“On one occasion this resulted in an E-scooter colliding with a parked caravan, resulting in considerable damage to the
caravan.
“The use of E-bikes and E-scooters across council’s estate has been raised as a concern within the chamber.
“Concerns regarding the inconsiderate use of E-bikes and E-scooters led to a request to review council bye-laws to seek to address such concerns.”
Gosford Forest Park, at Markethill, Clare Glen, near Tandragee, and Kinnego Marina, on the shores of Lough Neagh, are managed by outdoor leisure and health and recreation teams within ABC Council.
As it stands, facilities in each of the three council areas which amalgamated to form ABC Council 10 years ago, differ from place to place.
It was at April’s statutory council meeting that Ulster Unionist Councillor Kate Evans brought forward a Notice of Motion which flagged council’s “failure to revise and harmonise the existing bylaws from legacy councils into one unified set of bylaws”.
It also sought council recognition that “working with separate bylaws is unsustainable” and requested that the “relevant departments undertake a review of the three parks bylaws with a view to bringing forward Pleasure Grounds Rules & Regulations.”
As a follow on, and the report to tonight’s environment committee confirms: “It is acknowledged that E-bikes and E-scooters are enjoyed by many who utilise them to explore paths and trails around our caravan and camping sites but, due to the speeds that can be reached by E-bikes and E-scooters, officers are seeking to control their use within these areas.
“A minor amendment to the current terms and conditions is proposed.”
And a copy of that draft amendment – which committee is being urged to accept – dicates that E-scooters and E-bikes are “prohibited in the caravan site”.
The report to the environment meeting sitting adds: “The proposed amendments have been discussed by both outdoor leisure and health and recreation teams to ensure consistency in approach.
“Caravan and camping bookings from 1st April 2026 will be released for online bookings early January 2026, therefore officers are seeking a decision to agree new terms and conditions ahead of this.”
Committee, who will make a decision on the proposed changes this evening, has been told there is “no direct cost of implementing new terms and conditions”, but it may help council “defend potential claims in the future”.
