Is it time to change hardstanding policy?
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The point about being able to book hard standings is, in my view, unarguable, and I find it depressing in the extreme that the club seem unable or unwilling to facilitate this.
Personally, I won't now pitch on grass at all unless absolutely unavoidable. My main reason for this is less about the risk of getting stuck or damaging the pitch and more about the inevitable mess created by grass cuttings, worm casts and the other unavoidable issues that arise with grass. Always I end up with mud and damp grass in my van and this is anathema to me.
I get and very much respect that some prefer grass as a surface, but I fervently disagree with the notion that sites with hard standings look unattractive or can never be aesthetically pleasing. In my view the opposite is true. Grass only sites too often develop into a chaotic muddle of vans on a field and is contrary to my preference for order, neatness and good planning. Among my favourite sites are places like Bridlington and Southport with what I find to be excellent, well -planned, new areas of hard standing pitches.
Someone above said, "who wants to step out onto gravel?" as if everyone must be the same. We are all different. I, for one, absolutely want to step out onto gravel and utterly hate to have to step out onto grass with the attendant issues that that is likely to cause me later on.
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Don’t you carry a rubber mat for placing outside the door, Gray?
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The Firs has a single grass serviced pitch, no37, right in front of the loo block. Not a very attractive pitch for a holiday.
We've spent a lot of our time caravanning on waterlogged CAMC HS pitches in all seasons. The more car park like the more water stands, it seems. Baltic Wharf, Chatsworth, Longleat, Trewethett Farm, Bladon Chains, Cheddar, Black Knowl are a few that spring to mind. We use the grass pitches at BC and TF that didn't suffer from standing water.
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What the Club should be doing is establishing "Aires" They did say they were going to introduce a trial! How they are going to do it I have no idea but two commercial sites in the UK have done this already. The normal way is to annex a portion of the site or create an add on.Such areas are normally partitioned off form the main site. Some sites may well lend themselves to this quite easily others not so?
peedee
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When and where did the club say they would be trialling aires, PD? That one seems to have passed me by 🤔
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Again where did the club say that PD? Sorry to ask but could you post a link?
I don't think a trial was mentioned at all:
For many years we have been conducting member insight surveys to understand the
differing needs of all our members and how we may address the needs of differing
segments within the membership. At the beginning of this year we commenced an
exploration as to whether this is something we could viably offer. Unfortunately, due to
the pandemic, this project is currently temporarily suspended, however it is planned to
re-initiate in 2021Just an exploration, on paper I would think as to the viability, not a trial, no actual sites having Aires.
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PD could you name these commercial sites, would be interesting to see what has been done, the T&C, prices?
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Don’t be ridiculous!
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I believe a trial was mentioned in a letter from the Club, written by the Marketing Manager in response to a question from a member.
Re sites with Aires, both are in Wales one is >Tyn-y-Pant< which is in the process of rebranding so I do not think the web site is up to date. the other is >Bluebell Park< The cost of staying on the Aire at Bluebell is half of the site's pitch charge.
If the Club wants to attract the growing band of motorhome owners or even keep some of the existing ones it will have to, in my view, somehow introduce a low cost overnight charge.
peedee
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Thankyou, PD. I think you must agree that I asked you a civil question in response to your earlier post. Hardly an inquisition.
I'm not aware of any mention of a trial and your answer is, if I may say so, rather less than the concrete facts. However, we wait to see.
PS. I cannot see anything about aires on the first link and the Bluebell aire is £10 p/n cheaper than the site but has no EHU or facilities. It's a shame they don’t seem to have much in the way of pictures on their website.
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well my quote was from the Q&A in reply from a member and there is no mention of a trial, only an exploration. You posted the Q&A document so have a read of it.
Isn't the club already attracting growing MH owners. you posted your self that was so and numbers were significantly catching up caravans owners in the club.
And (we've had this conversation before) it is retaining them in large numbers:
And as a result of a strong renewal rate, with over 300,000 families choosing to renew, the total membership numbers grew to over 355,000 households. The strong renewal rate was a good indication that members were satisfied with our sites and services, and recognised the value of belonging to the Club.
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With it seems the growing amount of those who hire motor caravans and being non members ,are seen more and more on this clubs sites as a couple of weeks ago when we had four hire MCs near us at FM they were more than pleased with how reasonable it was costing them per night, and as said by three out of the four
. We can have many trips away in nearly new vehicles, before the costs of buying and running vehicles of the standard these are are met, when I advised it would be even cheaper if they were members they would join before their next longer holiday in hire vehicles
Ps the fourth hirer was not sure as it was their first time and were used to full board accomodation
So reasonable priced aire type pitches,,it in these days it seems by some already here with club sites
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I'm sorry PD but if you post inaccurate and misleading posts (saying the club is trialling Aires twice when it is not) then you can be expected to be corrected.
I'm sure you would do the same?
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PD, if you make bold statements regarding the club and/or policy, you must expect to be asked questions. Unfortunately, you have a habit of evading the question so it becomes necessary to ask you another.
I have thanked you for answering my question on this occasion, even though the response was a bit vague, but I really take issue with your comment above regarding the frequency of the need to ask you questions because you bring this on yourself. The remedy is in your own hands.
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But that does not make it an Aire does it?
From what I can make out it is the same pitch size but just costing £10 less as you are not taking the other facilities. That is not an Aire any more than a non facility site or CL.
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I agree.
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With many it seems this last couple of years many caravan owners have been as willing as Some motor caravan owners in using on board facilties rather than the sites ,and with the growing trend to fit solar panels as standard to many LVs, then any thought of aires? in this country should be available to all that are self sufficiant , not just one type of LV,,
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I dont like the look of rows of hardstanding - whether tarmac, or gravel. However, if using a club site, I tend to use them. I do believe there are lots of ways or reinforcing the ground so that it is fit for motorhomes, and caravans wanting a hard pitch. These can be more aesthetically pleasing than most current examples. I hope that the Club would not be installing any new tarmac pitches, water simply does not drain through.
If there were more reinforced pitches, there would be less competition for hardstandings, and ultimately less need to book one sort or the other. I can certainly see issues around trying to book hardstandings but only having availability for part of your stay, or hard standings being empty for some of the time because of the need to ensure availability for those booked later in the week etc.
I do think the Club should be offering the option of electricity or not - obviously with a difference in pitch price, or dare I say it, metering use!
For those on full facility club sites, where people use those facilities, I really dont know why they would need electricity - there gas consumption would be very low in any case.
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I can't think of many sites that I've used that have tarmac pitches, but on one site that does they are very popular and go just as fast as the SP pitches there.
Yes while in principle there should be a variety of pitches our climate and the need or demand now for year round (and more income) means that the gravel pitch will predominate. I wonder what the cost is of installing and maintenance of these reinforced pitches v gravel?
I'm not sure what you mean by your last paragraph, I use full fat sites and SP on top (is that double fat) but I still need electricity for heating especially in winter and some cooking.
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One I love is River Breamish, where you have to go over grass to get to some of the hard standing pitches lol. Last time we were there it was a couple of days of rain and watching some M/Hs getting from the pitches to the road over the grass was entertaining!
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PD, if you make bold statements regarding the club and/or policy, you must expect to be asked questions.
TW,I did say it was not unexpected. I find it very disappointing that some members find it so difficult to accept others postings without continually questioning them.
And (we've had this conversation before) it is retaining them in large numbers:
Corners, You have your view I have mine. As you say we have discussed it before so there is no point in going over the same ground.
peedee
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PD, I seek clarification when you post rather outlandish statements. If you were expecting me to do that, why did you post such a thing? You invited the query.
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We all have views but you always appear to post your view as the one correct one. But my 'view' is the view given by the club from the 2020 AGM minutes:
And as a result of a strong renewal rate, with over 300,000 families choosing to renew, the total membership numbers grew to over 355,000 households. The strong renewal rate was a good indication that members were satisfied with our sites and services, and recognised the value of belonging to the Club.
...very disappointing that some members find it so difficult to accept others postings without continually questioning them.
PD how can anyone accept your post when what you posted was clearly inaccurate and incorrect. You posted the club is trialling Aires, it is not and official documents show that.
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