2025 Monthly Open and Closed CL List
Comments
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If I were going to open a CL then I might be tempted to agree with the price suggested by the inspectors (if this happens) but if I found I wasn't then attracting enough business then I would look at why.
Is my price too high springs to mind for a start, What's the opposition charging for seconds. What do sucessful (and non closing) CLs have that I don't?
Ted (was it?) from Chosey Grange (again right name?) said in an interview, to attract more units he had to offer what people want, or what most club members want, that is mini club sites at least HS and SPs. I do recall that he said once he did this he was always busy.
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location and competition both play a part on pricing. We stayed at a CS on the Fife coast, near Anstruther, last week. Grass pitches, fresh water, grey water - water the trees, elsan point, toilets, no showers. £24 without ehu and £29 with hook up. The non electric pitches we were on had wonderful views over the Firth of Forth. Pitches were huge and all well spread out. although it was on the coastal road that was fairly busy in the day it was very quiet at night. It was on the coastal bus routs, buses stopping outside.
Very little else in the area and where we wanted to be. We stayed three nights. It was at the top of our budget and was compensated for by cheaper sites elsewhere.
What irritates be about a lot of CL sites is that they still incorporate electricity into pitch prices, not all I know. Most CS sites have electric and non electric options, I guess because of their incorporation of tents. And as above, a £5 difference in price is reasonable.0 -
Another thought....if one is opening a new CL in an area where others already exist then the new one would be trying to attract users from sites they probably used in the past and likely to return to, aren't they. Surely if they are offering less or no more in way in facilities they should at the very least be competitive or at a discount to the price of those already established.
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Having camped and caravanned for 40 years in most countries of Western Europe I found that CLs with their petty restrictions were non existent everywhere else, and totally unnecessary . In their place were well equipped campsites and specialist motorhome aires open democratically to all , not simply to “members”. CLs are a peculiar British anachronism and simply don’t exist in any other country. Their restriction to “members only” will not survive the modem free wheeling motor home life style. I shed no tears for many CLs closing, and certainly none for the sort of owners who are trying to make money without financial commitment on their part. It seems obvious that the list of CL closures will grow , month by month and year by year.
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I suppose the problem with CL's is that it depends if they are a main source of income or a secondary income. If it is a stand alone income you have got to have a pretty good occupancy rate all year round even to secure a modest income once all the expenses are paid. Our imaginary £30 a night CL with grass pitches and only waste and water immediately limits that potential. The maximum possible income for that CL is £54600 a year. Now given the limited facilities and grass pitches it would be pushing to achieve half that income and the reality is likely to be less than that. So I would suggest that an income of around £20000 less expenses would be more realistic so you have to ask yourself, is it worthwhile? Maybe as a hobby yes but as a business no? Is this the reason we are seeing so many closures?
David
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I suspect it is for both the reasons @DavidKlyne @eurotraveller point out. As more and more people turn to motorhome/campervans, out o the way, potentially muddy, grassy fields are not the kind of places that will be in demand. CLs with hard standing and something to offer will survive and may well eventually flourish as fully licenced sites.
peedee
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We aren’t currently Members, due to personal circumstances. In the past we have kept up our Membership primarily to access the CL network, but current conversation around getting back out and touring when we can has got us thinking that we might just see how we go before committing to Membership again. We did find we were even using less CLs than in the past, as the CS sites with other Club were giving us the option of not having to hook up, but still having very good showering and loo facilities for around £15 per night. Plus we were doing more one night stopovers for either free or well under £10 per night. We had got a good mix of sites and nightly fees going, and managed to tour very well for £15 or under average per night. Cousin has just got a MH, and doing the same as us. If we wanted to rock up in our old Cornish favourite area, the new Marazion site still looks better for us than Godrevy, and we don’t like the Carnon Downs location.
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@DavidKlyne around set up, there are set up fees and ongoing annual expenses such as water and electrical safety checks, insurance, etc….. I am guessing though that a farm set up might be a good bit cheaper than a non farm set up, as most farmers are excellent at doing the land management and site stuff, such as putting in hard standings, laying in water provision, laying in electric points, even in some instances building, or renovating old buildings for showers and loos. The difference in terms of doing something as part of the farm, as opposed to getting contractors in, must be a huge saving. We have seen a lot of very good DIY site provision when staying in some places, we watched another 15 pitches being landscaped, water and power points in on one site we stayed at once, and an excellent standard they were. All done bar the electrical inspection signed off in under a week, by one farmer and his on site equipment. Doubled the size of the site, and it had once been a CL. Obviously no longer, and he’d had to apply for planning permission, but it’s a cracking site with heated showers and loos, including disabled/family provision, on site honesty freezers, and in a great location, plenty to do, bus route. Well run, quiet.
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Hi Nellie
The Club does not get any commission for any bookings made on CL sites, our CL advisors and consultants do not encourage price increases and we do remind them of this on a regular basis.
The decision to choose their nightly price is solely that of the CL owners. We do encourage them to look at the going nightly rate in their area to not over price themselves. Owners have the option to change their prices at any time (Increase or decrease their price). They do have to take into consideration their outgoing costs as well, their Electricity Bills, waste removal, maintenance of the site etc.
Thanks
Maddie
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Thanks for your note, @CLMaddie and I do appreciate that the club does not receive any commission from CL sites.
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