Maragowan
Can anyone explain why the Maragowan club site has such draconian covid measures in place for using the facilities?
you are only allowed a 20min family slot which has to be booked after 12.00pm or your name is scrubbed off. With 97 pitches at 20mins each would take 16 hours of constant use for every pitch occupier to have a shower. You could end up with a shower slot at 4.00am as a family , one toilet for 97 pitches😮
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I am not sure you will get the answer here. There have been several critical reviews on the same issue. Probably better to email the Club direct? If there is an unknown problem (to us) regarding the toilet block which prevents the normal system being used perhaps it would have been better to have made it a no facility site for the duration of the COVID restrictions/
David
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Did you not ask the wardens, J&I? As I understand it the measures in place were the result of a risk assessment carried out at each site in order to arrive at what was seen as the best plan for each site. The wardens would have been involved in that process.
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With the rise in Covid cases it would be much better if site visitors used their own facilities as requested by CAMC. I've noticed more basic vans using toilet tents and it's good to see people making more of an effort to prevent the spread of Covid rather than expect "constant use" of facility areas which cannot be cleaned after every use.
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We have visited Maragowan twice within the last month - we could not believe the system they had in operation. They even have the pitches immediately next to the service point out of use and marked off very two metres so that people can social distance when waiting at the service point !!!! - could not believe it. On the first visit we had to book in and pay through a window - second visit paid in the office. We also visited Melrose, River Beamish and Bunree where a band system for facilities was in operation which worked brilliantly. Booking in was done in the office in all three cases., so who made the rules for Marogowan?
I would also mention that we visited North Ledaig, where we saw no sanitizing or cleaning of service points.
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Hi everyone, I have contacted my colleagues in the UK Sites team and hope to get back to you soon with some further information on the sites operation.
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The systems put in place at the sites we have used seem to work well and I have not noticed any contravention of them, although we have mainly used our own facilities, particularly for showering.
What I don't understand is the need for different systems. I know individual risk assessments were done, but surely that will just relate numbers allowed / configuration of open cubicles and site specific cleaning, rather than the band system. Having two distinct systems just leads to confusion, especially when the last site was the opposite. It would be much better to pick one system, bands on hooks, or bands in sterilising fluid and use it as the club standard.
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We were at Killin a year ago. Apart from the toilet block being of the older variety I am not sure I noticed anything about it that would required a different approach but then why would I? I imagine that site staff were issued with a set of instructions and if they needed to be different from the norm wouldn't the Regional Manager have to OK them? We will have to await Rowena's reply from the sites department for chapter and verse.
David
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I have heard from the sites team who have advised the below:
We took great care and conducted a thorough investigation with both the site team and our internal H&S colleagues to determine the best way for this particular toilet block to operate. It was collectively agreed that the only way we could open this particular toilet block was with the "White Board" system allowing one family unit in either A or B Block at any one time and pre-booked with a 20 min slot throughout the day. A toilet for 24 hr use by campervan owners without facilities was still available to visitors separate from A and B Block. Due to physical size of building it was also suggested that the dishwashing, CCEP and drying room would have to be shut to enable A and B Block to open. The 20 minute slots only operate between the hours of 7.00 a.m., and 9.00 p.m., and closed for toilet cleaning between the hours of 10 and 12 and 4 and 5.
We have received a lot of praise from visitors to the site including many NHS staff who see the system we operate on this site as being a safe way of protecting visitors from Covid 19.
The reason for the 12 o'clock time to book a shower, was to give everyone a fair chance at the morning slots.
With regards to the office for booking in, the office space is very limited and we feel that the "open window" policy is the best way of protecting visitors and staff from Covid 19 transmission. The only exception we make to this is to allow one person to stand in the doorway if it is bad weather outside.
With regards to one pitch out adjacent to each service point, this is to facilitate a safe queuing system to restrict only one person at a time to the service point. Up to now this has worked very well and this again agreed following in-depth discussions with our H & S colleagues, as our main priority was not putting site guests at additional risk by having them queuing on the site roadway and having them in close proximity to moving vehicles.
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I took it to mean that no slot could be booked for the next 24 hours until after 12:00. Fine if your arriving that day. Not so good if you are out for the day. Probably not much left by then. Not a problem for us, we would use our own. However, it would be interesting to know if the club inform members of the situation, in the enjoy your holiday email. Personally if I turned up in a camper without facilities, I would be a little peeved to only find out after I had checked in. Not much chance of moving to a different site currently.
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The envisaged queuing system for the showers that the OP has speculated about, that is the total length of time for everyone to have a shower, is far fetched.
There will be many members who, in order to protect themselves, will use their own facilities. I shall not be using the Sanitary block of any CAMC site that I stay on.
Most outfits have their own. Leave the toilets and showers to those who cannot use an alternative.
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We were on the site in July/August and folk were booking the same early slots day after day ie having their shower going back to the whiteboard and changing the date giving others no chance of a shower in the morning. Consequently the 12:00 wipe off was to enable others to have access to an early slot.
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Wouldn't it have been easier to just make the site non facilities in the first place rather than this hap hazard way of going about it.
We've been on 12 sites so far since lockdown was eased. Some were none facility some not, the ones that operated a band system (Culloden & Old Hartley) worked well, both different systems but it worked. On the C&CC sites we've been on that facilities are open, they just lock the doors of the cubicles they don't want used and put a notice on the door. Hand sanitizer on entrance to building, no queues at any we've been to, there are a lot more camper vans and tents on C&CC sites than CMC ones but it works fine.
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We booked two nights on this site and then read the reviews about the system for the facilities, totally ridiculous, so we cancelled within 5 minutes. We would be out all day and therefore never get the chance to get a morning slot. The band system works really well on other sites.
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I am old enough to remember when Club sites didn’t have any facilities at all. Since then caravans have improved and almost all have sufficient facilities, so why not use them? We have and have noticed when using sites without any facilities how much cheaper they are. Perhaps it is time to get back to basics!
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There were no facilities before the Club moved site from Falls of Dochart to Maragowan.
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They don’t want the facilities to be used. The club suggests you use your own facilities but still charge the price for a full facility site. We are happy to use our own facilities however the club need to look at pricing if they can’t offer the full set up on sites. We stayed on a great little CL in Swindon as a stop off driving home from Cornwall , no facilities but electric hook up included for £18 a night.
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I don’t usually post reviews or comments on Caravan Club sites as they are of a similar configuration, maintained to good standards with friendly and helpful wardens. The same could be said for the Maragowan site.
However if any option that the Club gave their sites to adopt to maintain Covid safety standards then the one at Maragowan certainly needs revisiting. Since lockdown was eased we have visited a number of both Caravan Club and other sites and all with the exception of Maragowan have adopted more or less the same procedures.
When we visited in mid September the two shower/toilet blocks were unisex with access for shower or washroom use available but having to be booked in 20 minute slots via a board on the wall. Thankfully the disabled toilet is available “for emergencies”.
The closure for cleaning both blocks is ruled through at the same 2 hour period despite the desegregation of the blocks which is difficult to understand.
It was also difficult to understand why a pitch adjacent to the bin/water and Chemical emptying facility was blocked off and yellow painted with queuing distance lines; something I’ve not seen on other CC sites and given the demand in the UK for pitches was it really necessary.
Like no doubt many others we had great difficulty in booking pitches at various sites once lockdown was eased having to check the availability so it was a tad disappointing to see a site full notice going up on the 14th September where late into the evening and first thing in the morning there were at least 10 spare pitches.
As the site was really nice and the wardens friendly perhaps Head Office should look at the necessity for the option that the Maragowan site adopted.
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Interesting that with what seems quite a few negative posts about Maragowen site, there is no mention as to what was the site staffs response ,when asked why this sites system to try to contain Covid has caused more problems it seems than other sites?
Reading the reveiws it seems that most of the problems are being caused by the site users
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We stayed at Maragowan in September, but never used the site facilities, been away a month and have used our own facilities all that time, A more pressing problem is certain pitches getting waterlogged during and after heavy rain. Pitch drainage needs seriously looking at.
Always found the Wardens there friendly and helpful.
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Drainage seems a strange suggestion for the Maragowan site when in the winter a large part of it is regularly underwater when the level of the loch rises! Many of the electrical outlet bollards are raised on concrete plinths to counter the effects.
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Agree about the river, just talking about certain hardstandings which after heavy rain get waterlogged, if you have been there after heavy rain you WILL notice which one's get waterlogged.
The Wardens let you know which pitches are prone to it.
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Like no doubt many others we had great difficulty in booking pitches at various sites once lockdown was eased having to check the availability so it was a tad disappointing to see a site full notice going up on the 14th September where late into the evening and first thing in the morning there were at least 10 spare pitches.
No idea if it's been sorted yet, but when we were there a few years ago they were not able to let all the pitches due to the fact there was not a sufficient power supply to the site. Personally I couldn't see why they couldn't be let as non EHU, but that was what we were told.
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I visited the site in the bank holiday weekend October 2020. I didn't find a problem with the whiteboard system. I preferred it to the band system which I used in July in the Lake district. I felt the band's were a risk of cross contamination as you left your band outside on a book to show others you occupied the facilities. However when you came out to collect your band, nine times out of ten I would be left with someone else's or no band at all. If no band the wardens happily replaced the band that has been mistakenly taken out of a plastic box. Have the band's been disinfected before given out? As for showers/toilets I didn't witness a problem, however there is always one. Most people used own facilities, slightly longer walk to COX was a pain only because it was raining in biblical proportions. I just feel people forget that we are going through a pandemic, sadly perceive that the new arrangements are unhelpful. One should remember that other sites have closed shower blocks and other sites have not even opened. It could be worse you could have a ventilator tube down your throat.
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I am finding it difficult to see how the bands are any more of a "cross contamination risk" than the act of visiting the facilities in the first place.🤔 Doors, handles, hooks taps and any other surfaces you might come into contact with. On the rare occasion I used the facilities, I of course washed my hands on return to the van and did the band as well. Also of course did them in the facilities but you often had to touch something to get out.
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Why club sites were not opened on a "no facs" basis with an appropriate adjustment of fees, I don't know. It would have made management of the whole issue a lot easier and further reduced any risk.
The only losers would be those too squeamish to use their own loo.
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The only losers would be those too squeamish to use their own loo.
Plus possibly the club, if the sites didn't fill up to capacity, as they most certainly did with the regime the club put in place. Would you have wanted to take the financial risk?
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Just reading some of the reviews over the last couple of months I think there would have been an absolute outcry had the facility blocks not opened. Most of the people writing reviews and who mentioned the facilities don't really understand why the facilities are restricted in the numbers at anyone time!!! As much as I agree that no facilities and a reduction in price would be an attractive option I think the occupancy rates would have been well down. We always use our own facilities.
David
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