Chatsworth site closings

Bluepops

Hi, does anybody know if there has been any developments in the club extending the existing lease with Chatsworth estates?
There was talk of the site closing in 2026 to enable the estates to extend their car parking facilities 

Hope an agreement has been reached.

 

Tinwheeler

You could speculate as to why CAMC has bought the Lickpenny site.

DavidKlyne

There has been some speculation in the recent past about the future of the site but that could just be to do with the fact that the lease will be up for renewal in the next couple of years. I am sure the Club will do everything they can to retain it but some of these big Country Estates have suddenly realised they can  have added value but running it themselves. Look what happened to Blaydon Chains at Woodstock. Its interesting that the Club have recently purchased the Lickpenny Campsite which is only a few miles away. I can't believe that the Chatsworth Estate would use it as a car park as access would be difficult and there is plenty of space along the access roads for extra parking which they already use for the likes of the Christmas Market.

David

SteveL

I don’t really see Lickpenny as much of an alternative. There is really nothing you can do direct from the site without using a car. Therefore not attractive to many Motorhome owners, of which there have always been many at Chatsworth on all of our visits. Personally we would use Castleton if Chatsworth closed, as we have when we have not been able to get in due to its popularity.

eurortraveller

I would suggest Beechcroft Farm Caravan Park at Blackwell is a first class alternative if the Chatsworth site closes. It’s about 6 miles away by car, but for that distance a taxi won’t be too dear for those who don’t want to take a motorhome out. Hundreds of good reviews on line in all the usual places.

Wildwood

I have no actual knowledge of what is happening, but from being at the site I would doubt it is suitable as a car park. Landowners realising the money they can make from a site has caused the loss of sites for both clubs though and the estates trying to squeeze profits from everything is a factor.

Takethedogalong

Chatsworth Estates have their big future plans report online at the moment. It’s very big as you might imagine, but I glanced through and couldn’t find anything but one reference to the CAMC site. This is just a tiny name on a map. The planning report around car parking is still rumbling on, I think the Estate lost an appeal back in late 2023, but that appears to be focussed around the number of days cars are allowed to park under the bastion wall, usually on event days. 

DavidKlyne

My concern would be that they do something similar to Blenheim and install a type of "Experience Freedom"  offer? The location would be ideal for that, probably better than Blaydon Chains as its much quieter. Much of the water, waste and electricity infrastructure is already in place. Seeing what they charge at Blenheim it could be a money spinner?

Perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves.

David

Takethedogalong

The future plans do include some details around accommodation, but it seems to be things like converted barns etc….. 

GTP

DK....They have already done that at Heathy Lea with Shepherd Huts and there are other properties on the estate available for rent...including the tower where the Prince of Wales has stayed in the past...

Personally I would not be surprised if the Estate, now under the new tenure of the Dukes son, does :- a) Exactly that, the infrastructure is already there . or b) increase significantly the cost of a new lease. 

I was walking through the park the other day and chatted to a couple of estate staff ...Their lips are definitely sealed...

Re comments about the purchase of the Lickpenny site as an alternative....all I can say is members should make sure they have a heavy duty engine and gear box !!! and as previously stated it is in the middle of nowhere..

Wherenext

including the tower where the Prince of Wales has stayed in 

I would be wary of any towers that future Kings have stayed in. You might never get out!

Wildwood

Pity the estate staff would say nothing. When Lomond Estates decided to take over the C&CC site at Luss everybody knew.

Hope silence means this relatively small part of the estate will stay the same. Given the lease will have had rent increases built in, one would hope a large increase might be avoided. 

DavidKlyne

Surely logically, if the Estate are thinking about alternative uses, they might be inclined to increase the lease fees substantially in order to decide whether to allow the campsite to remain  the same (with the CMC) or redevelop it themselves? I doubt there will be any sentimentality in the decision. If the lease is up for renewal in 2026, which I think has been mentioned in the past, I doubt we will know the fate of the site until, probably, the second half of next year?

David

Wildwood

I think any rent change will need to be looked at when the time comes, but certainly there is nothing useful to be added until then. 

DavidKlyne

I think what I was hinting at was that a large price increase could almost have the Club over a barrel? Do they accept and increase already high prices or do they say no thanks? But as you say we will have to wait and see.

David