Cirencester Park access road
Comments
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Hi everyone,
If you're interested there is a video on YouTube showing the new changes to the access road from the Trudigans. We hope this helps to reassure you.
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Having seen the new video I’m afraid that I’m still not impressed, I won’t be booking there until all the boulders have gone, I have cancelled this year’s booking and I will be cancelling the booking I’ve got for next year. I may be being over cautious, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.1 -
I drove down the new road on Wednesday and am highly unimpressed. I have been touch with the club and exchanged a number of emails, the last being with the Regional Operations Coordinator.
The club knew about this last year, and were one of only 7 objectors to the planning application. The application was passed in December 2019. Had the club let members know, many would have objected. Below is a copy of my recent email...I feel that the club is ducking the issue I would suggest that the college install traffic lights (as the club has at Bunree in Scotland)
“I have done a little more research into the access road into the Cirencester site. I visited the Cotswold District Council Planning website and viewed the documents relating to this. I was staggered to see that planning approval was given back in December 2019 and I note that there were only 7 objections one of which was the Caravan Club. I would be interested to know how this objection was done. The club has many thousands of members, many of whom visit this site every year, and many would have also written with their objections had the Club informed them. I suspect that Cirencester Town Council (who did not object), may have underestimated the benefits that the club brings to the town. Was this highlighted in the Club’s objections?
I also note that the Local Highways Authority stated that they consider that the 3m road width is acceptable for caravans providing that there are passing places. There was only one passing place shown on the submitted plan (15m x 2m) which is way too small. I appreciate that more has been done since but the mid-point passing places are too small, and thus do not meet the LHA requirements.
I also note that the new road does not appear to match the approved plans submitted to the Council, in that there are no gravel run-off areas, and the placement of large stones were not part of the plans.
I believe that members should be informed and encouraged to write to Cotswold District Council, Cirencester Town Council and the Local Highways Authority pointing out the impact that this will cause, the issues that have been created and the potential loss of trade to the town.”
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I have also but there was no need in this instance. In Cheshire, during the last 10 years of work, I was often asked to review planning applications as an highway engineer. At this location, based ob what info I have seen I would have said that given likely pedestrian, cycle, and mobility scooter traffic 5 metre width would have been appropriate with any rocks placed 0.9 metres outside this
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Out of interest I have just had a look at the details of the Cirencester Site, since the reopening there have been five reviews, three of them are extremely critical of the new site road. Not a very good statistic after the club spent money trying to make it better.
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From what I have read and the image that I have seen, the clubs attempt at remediation is poor.
I read that the existing carriageway was 3m wide with 2m deep laybys. I live on a 5 metre wide road. very difficult for two 2.4m wide outfits to pass safely. All the club seems to have axhievws is to improve the awful approach and exit angles to the laybys. Still not on my list to revisit
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The two that don't mention the access road are Motorhomers, whilst the three that do are caravaners. Perhaps less of an issue for MH's unless very large. We will find out when we visit in September. Having seen the video and looked at the photos, I would certainly be reconsidering our visit if we still had our caravan and it is one of our favourite sites.
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I found it fine, I did meet a car exiting but pulled into the layby ok and met nothing when we left. On a CL now with 'Baltic Wharf' on Thursday, with the landslip outside of the site and Cumberland road restrictions in place, I think I will find the detour more 'interesting'.
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Towed our caravan down this new road yesterday, had no problem with regard to clearances, however the line of sight when turning into the road is a bit compromised with the vegetation growing up. Arrived just after 1.00pm and did not meet others coming towards me, that may have been interesting. Just take your time, you'll be ok.
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We arrived at the site last Sunday just after 13.00 and we didn't meet anyone on the road. The width seemed fine to me and nice to have a smooth road instead of potholes!!! Agree about the sight lines coming from the main road. We left this morning and encountered a few cars coming towards the site. As I could see them coming I just waited by the entrance and let them pass. Proceeding along the road a car was approaching but pulled into the first layby so everything was fine. Where a problem might be is if you arrive mid afternoon as that seems to be the time all the kids are picked up from the Cricket and Tennis clubs and you will get dozens of cars over a shortish period going in both directions. The boulders are completely unnecessary, probably put there to intimidate?
David
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To me, the boulders are the concern.
Our outfit is 12.75m when hitched, tail swing on the bends will be considerable, and towing mirrors will only let me see one side of the tail on a bend, so as long as the boulders are there, we will not be returning.
A MH or a smaller caravan outfit (scoutman previously said he had a small caravan) will not have the same problem.
The road also does not sound wide enough, at only 5m at the passing places, for a caravan outfit to pass anything wider than a car.
All things considered, we will take the less stressful option of going elsewhere.
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Kj
There were lots of large twin axle caravans pulled by large cars on site as well as quite a few A Class motorhomes. I don't think you would have any problems. Providing people are careful and proceed cautiously I reckon you would be fine. I expect the boulders will remain unless some mysteriously disappear to use them for a rockery
David
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Thanks David, but, having watched all the videos and read the reviews, we will still avoid it. There are plenty of other sites to visit.
We have "done" Cirencester so no need to return.
Our caravan insurance is expensive enough without risking the NCD, and I do not need the stress!
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But despite all that the site is full to the rafters so its not putting many people off!!! If that continues the Club won't be worried about a few that won't go because of a perceived problem with the approach road.
David
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I've got four miles of narrow road to get in and out of the house - much of it single track, with unmarked passing places tucked into granite hedges - to avoid milk tankers, muck spreaders, school buses and delivery vans in a hurry. It says something about the driving confidence of Club members that a few hundred metres of narrow road at Cirencester has produced over 320 posts on here so far.
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More than a little different. Presumably, at some stage, you need to return home. There is not the pressing urgency for me to return to Cirencester CMC.
Also for me if the club could not be fussed (the polite word) in ensuring a proper job and consider a 3m track to be adequate as a multi use track on a site that generates plenty of foot traffic then I cannot be fussed revisiting.
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Well it would not put that many off at present time would it David? Firstly I doubt that many arriving were aware of the poor design of the changes. I have noticed that many reviews mention the poor access.
As for being 'full to the rafters - many club sites are. For me it is just as much that if the CMC can't be fussed ensuring a safe width for multi use I cannot be fussed in using the site.
For me the site offers nothing that Burton on the Water does not. (same can be said for Morton in the Marsh or many a site) A lot of its popularity is down to the ease of walking into Cirencester itself, with the added incentive to dog owners of the parkland. For me no great incentive as in either case on a 5 night stay I am not likely to visit any nearby town more than once and I have a car. Also we have no dog.
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I think that I have only used the site once and our pitch was fine but many I seem to recall required that you park in front of the outfit - not something that I like. Cirencester itself we have visited from another site also. We were booked in there as part of our cancelled spring holiday.
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Staff come and go. We have spent a lot of time at Cirencester and have always found the wardens excellent. One even sorted me out with some liquid to remove some obscene graffiti that some undesirable had scrawled on our caravan during an on route stop.
Agree to some extent re the pitches. There are a lot of narrow ones and some with undesirable slopes. The area known as millionaires row is fine, as is the huge grass area and all the new service pitches, which we have booked in September, so the only communal facilities we need to use will be the CDP.
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So, conclusion is that Club Sites need wide, smooth, almost straight access roads, with no one else on them to access “the adventure”. 🤔
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Mmm, Cirencester would seem a doddle after the South Hams🤣
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