CL thoughts
Comments
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A neighbour, newly married, at the farm up the hill is looking to build a house on his own land so he doesn’t have to live in the main house with his mother. He has to go through all the formal planning processes - access, width of entrance, consultation and objections from neighbours, drainage, sewage disposal, and all the rest.
I regard the setting up of new CS and CLs by the Clubs as an outdated anachronism, by passing all planning requirements. In my opinion the Clubs should lose their rights to allow new CS and CLs - all new applications should go through the planning process. The facilities to be provided, the access, sewage disposal, and the number of outfits allowed would be part of that planning permission.
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It is a long established site, LTC, with many regulars visitors and has an array of solar panels, and the grass surface is the type which requires infrequent mowing. It may not have a scenic view for each pitch but they are well spaced apart and the area is very quiet when evening comes with a large village green directly opposite the site, perfect for taking ones dog for a shortish walk.It is certainly a much better CL than some that we have paid twice as much to stay on. We would not hesitate to use it again, if we can get in that is.
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I'm rather surprised by your comment. I'm also pretty sure that most farmers would be, even the one you know wanting to build a new house.
I put forward the following observations as a CL Owner on a working farm of average size (200 acres).
If you understood the current financial situation most farmers are in (or simply watched Clarksons Farm) you'd recognise that most farms need to diversify in order to support the production of food and to maintain the countryside that you wish to visit.
FYI The agriculture side of our farm (70 acres of cereals) made me a grand total of £154 over the past 4 years. £154 doesn't pay many bills!
On the other hand, the diversification businesses we have set up on our farm (with planning permission when required) support the farm business and provide myself and my wife with an income.
The Caravan Act of 1960 allowed us to approach the club - at no cost to ourselves - to set up a CL 10 years ago. If I had approached the local authority to open a site I'm 95% certain it would have been turned down (we are in an AONB) and it would likely have cost me thousands of pounds in fees and tests etc. I would not have taken the risk. In retrospect I am glad I did, but 10 years ago this was all new.
Our local pub (and many other businesses) benefit hugely from the visitors we bring to the farm that then pop into the pub for drinks or a meal.
Most of those who actively engage with the English Planning system describe it as broken and not fit for purpose. Even the Government admit that is vastly underfunded.
Around 49% of current CLs are based on 'working farms'. I'm pretty sure that very few of them would have started their CL without this easier route in place. In fact some might say that the Caravan Act (and the clubs that implement it) are - albeit in a small way - actively supporting British Farms to stay solvent in this time of great change.
If clubs lost the ability to certificate 5-van sites, you would have many fewer sites to stay and many farmers looking to diversify would never even consider a caravan site.
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Agree whole heartedly CG. English planning Depts are very badly broken. Building a house isn’t the same as putting in a small campsite either. Applying for something larger is a different kettle of fish. I’m surprised it’s only 49% of CLs to be honest, as it’s mostly farms we have stayed on.
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