Empty seasonal pitches
We’ve just returned from our favourite club site where there were half a dozen seasonal pitches with no one using them on a bank holiday weekend.
These pitches are easily the best ones on site with more space, catch the sun later in day etc
When we arrived home we bumped into our disabled neighbour who told us their family had not been able to get booked up as the site was full. They can’t book weeks in advance as health issues can prevent them from travelling at very short notice
Is it about time the club stopped selling seasonal pitches to a minority of members who are literally preventing others from enjoying the clubs facilities by taking on a seasonal pitch then not using it.
The club only has about 20,000 pitches and nearly a million members giving a member to pitch ratio of 50:1 so why restrict access to pitches by allowing a small minority of people to book them seasonally simply because they have a bit more disposable income than others
Comments
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Which Club Site was it Vbuda, and were there actually outfits on the pitches, or we’re the pitches empty?
I ask as not everyone wants to be away at a BH, but might happily spend money to be on a usually quiet site at other times. I know we would🙂
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Did you ask the warden why he/she thought they were empty?
Could it be that the seasonal occupants took advantage of the long weekend to take their 48hrs break from the site and went elsewhere for the bank hol? I guess we'll never know but
I don’t think disposable income comes into the equation at all.
Btw, I think membership is around 300-400k families which may equate to nearly 1m people but each family membership number can only book one pitch at a time.
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It would be useful to know the site vB then we could look at costs and how busy the site is across all the season.
And that is an important point, it could be argued that while affecting some members at peak times they bring in considerable income for the club all the year round to balance the books. Yes sites might be full at times like this BH but what about other times? In my experience of using them they are at sites where it's not going to be full all season and looking at the booking page for them they are very popular and were sold out for this season. For those that don't want to tow or travel with their MH (yes MH do use them) every time they go away they are good to use, we loved it, no setting up on a Friday night.
As to more disposable income they are/can be actually cheaper than booking all those days, I recall that when we did the sums we'd be in pocket after so many weekends and the rest were all 'free'.
Also you can take your outfit off your seasonal pitch for a 'holiday' somewhere else which may account for the empty pitches.
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At least those members who didn't occupy their seasonal pitches have paid something for NOT being there.
We have neighbours who have a seasonal on a non CAMC site and wouldn't dream of going away for Bank Holidays. They're back down there next week though.
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FYI the closing date for seasonal is 23rd September and for most the max stay on site for people is now 28 days.
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For the first time ever we are considering a seasonal pitch. There are several reasons, but one is - we don't need to book in advance if we can suddenly get a few days away.
We haven't decided yet, but the announcement of the booking process has made us think.
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In many businesses, especially those that rely on a given occupancy level of a fixed number of selling opportunities (be it rooms, pitches, rental cars) to cover fixed costs, getting a known letting for a longer period of time, even at a lower price, is a very worthwhile and valid strategy.
It can work for the club, on well chosen sites, and it can certainly work for the customer.
At Balburnie last September, I had seasonal pitches either side of me and opposite me; all were empty (van on pitch but no occupants) for all my five nights except one. Another serviced pitch close to me was occupied by a lovely couple from nearby Kirkcaldy who mainly visited at weekends only. Any why not? It works for them, the rates make it affordable for them, but it gives the Club a known contribution to fixed costs.
It's all about supply and demand and is just life really. Absolutely no argument for stopping them unless the club works out that it is not a viable strategy.
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It obviously beneficial to the club at sites where they have spare capacity, particularly mid week. It is guaranteed upfront income. When we had one at Cirencester it was for the back end of the year, starting 1st of September. We received confirmation in November and could either pay the full amount then, or in four monthly DD’s. We opted for the instalments so our pitch was all paid up by the beginning of March a full 6 months before we took possession. It makes sound business sense to me. Ours was also a grass pitch, which they normally don’t market as standard pitches beyond the end of September.
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I can certainly understand your reasoning, and I can personally vouch for just arriving and finding everything more or less set up is a brilliant feeling. We even kept a set of clothing there to minimise what to pack.
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My wife and I have had a seasonal pitch at Broomfield Farm for some 15 years ,
I have contributed to the clubs coffers over the years and also booked uk sites and overseas and also booked ferries also through the club.
I make no apologies using my pitch over the weekend and working during the week .
if something crop's ups and I have a prior engagement to fulfil my pitch will be empty Bank holiday or not .
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cant understand why it bothers people if someone is using there caravan or not people who have paid for a season pitch do so so they can come and go when they want to we pay 2400 a year so its cost affected for the club as well
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