Pitching continental caravans...
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Hi Micky, I could give you a photo of motorhomers pitched equally closely. Is it just caravanners on Club sites who are precious about privacy?
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Good post, M. What happens on site is a far cry from on here. 😀
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When we stopped at Abbey Wood a few years ago for a week. We had 3 continental (foreign) MH's pitch next to us with door facing ours. Did not bother us. As we talked amicably with them, I assume it did not bother them.
Personally I don't see it as a problem.
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Most reassuring to read the posts here. It does appear that most of us are capable of, and actually enjoy the cosy company of fellow 'caravaners', be their units motorised or otherwise, LHD or RHD built, nose or rear in.
I also, like many, reckon we appreciate the 6&3s found on club sites which may just offer a tad of H&S and a few minutes more in that time of emergency. Yes, those moments are few and far between thankfully but let's not kid ourselves, they certainly can and do happen. Every minute helps!
Finally, with regard to sites 'over there', there are good and bad like here in the UK. Many of the good ones I've used over there seem, in my experience, to have very pretty much a similar ethos and pitching ways as the sites we have in the C&MC. Of course this is just my humble opinion.
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The 6 &3 rule, is not a caravanclub invention it is a strong recommendation put by Natural England and the equivalent bodies in the other nations. This should apply to all sites, I would guess that the club fell foul of this “rule” which is why a couple of years ago they changed all the pitches half way through the season.
In general I don’t think that club sites can be accused of packing them in. They can be accused of creating characterless identikit sites but that’s another story.
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Going back to the OP, I think pretty much all major sites in the UK adopt a similar pitching strategy in that you can pitch nose in or nose out as you prefer. Most sites also adopt similar spacing strategies and I notice on the current adverts for the much praised Morris Leisure sites, the picture at, I think, Oxon Hall, shows pitches almost identical to club ones, even down to a little white pitch marker peg!
As far as sites in other places are concerned, as micky says, there are undoubtedly very good and very bad examples. I'm always reminded of a site we walked through a few years back on Lake Garda where the vans were crammed in so much that you could easily lean out of your window and shake your neighbour's hand and with a bit more effort, even give his wife a goodnight kiss!
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The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 – Section 5-gave the secretary of state the power to specify 'Model Standards'. The latest edition was in 2008 but does not apply to touring sites.
The spacing 'requirements' may vary, albeit not greatly, as they are based on various editions of Model Standards that have now been archived.
It is quite normal for us to assume that 'legal requirements' would be clear but they are anything but.
Licensing authorities may copy out verbatim what the 'standards' say where others may not but they are only required to 'have regard to it' when drawing up their conditions
Regarding the various comment re the 'in or out' situation would the following be complied with the following from MODEL STANDARDS 1989 : HOLIDAY CARAVAN SITES ;
Where awnings are used, the distance between any part of the awning and an adjoining caravan should not be less than 3 metres. They should not be of the type which incorporates sleeping accommodation and they should not face each other or touch.
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It also says in that document:
They are Model Standards: they represent the standards normally to be expected as a matter of good practice, on such sites. They are not intended to apply to any other type of caravan site-for example, sites which only have caravans for permanent residential use, touring caravan sites, gypsy sites or sites which are used by agricultural workers.
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I think, also, that ‘standards’ are not law but, as Metheven said, are guidelines for good practice which is why commercial sites often have far less space between pitches than club sites.
It seems to me that the last para of A&J’s post is indicating a 3m gap between awning and caravan which is very tight.
I think we can safely assume that the club’s legal boffins and insurers know what is what.
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I know,I thought thats what I said?
The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 – Section 5-gave the secretary of state the power to specify 'Model Standards'. The latest edition was in 2008 but does not apply to touring sites.
The latest 'model standards'applicable to tourers appears to be the 1989 version.
All authorities seem to stick with the 6m/3m spacing. So if you are on the limit and have two units 6m apart, one in and one out, will the 3m of clear space be acheivable if awnings are erected?
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Inspected, checked, passed and approved by the local authority
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“....will the 3m of clear space be acheivable if awnings are erected?”
Yes it will. Kev the warden explained yesterday the measures that can be taken to accommodate a particularly large awning without encroaching into the 3m space.
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I would think it will vary from site to site and pitch to pitch. One van here on the grass has an enormous awning. Much wider than the van. It looks to be at least 3 metres. We are pitched to the peg, if I was to erect such an awning on our hardstanding pitch, there is no way it would be 3 metres from a similar awning from a nose in van on the adjoining pitch. It would be close if the adjacent awning was of normal dimensions.
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The thing is we live on a relatiatively small island with rather precious space for our passtime. Now I've been lucky to experience some awesome and wonderful camping grounds in North America , particularly in the Rockies and, to a lesser degree, in remoter areas of Europe where space for pitches on sites was just not the issue it is here. In fact, in some cases you would be lucky to be able to see or even hear your 'neighbour' on the next pitch.
However, there is very little opportunity here in the UK to experience such wilderness but we can make the most of what we've got, it is in its way equally wonderful and awe inspiring. It just calls for and demands a little understanding and consideration from all us transient fellow inhabitants of the space we temporarily occupy . Come on folk, let's get together and do precisely this rather than squabble over the use of the space available to us!
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