Thinking of opening a CL?

CholseyGrange
CholseyGrange Forum Participant Posts: 289
100 Comments
edited January 2022 in Certificated Locations #1

If you are contemplating opening your own CL, or know someone who might, then I'm sure you'd like to know what's involved, what the costs and potential returns are. 

Of course, your first step is to make an applicationm to the Club here, but this interview (CREDIT David Thompson) might help shed some light too.

Comments

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #2

    Ted

    I just wondered how much publicity the idea of farms opening CL's gets in the Farming Press as it must be a difficult message to get out to a wider audience. I also wondered if there are any incentives/subsidies out there for farmers to provide tourist facilities on their land. Some are going down the route of Pods and these are hardly cheap to set up?

    David

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,033 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #3

    It’s long been a source of diversification DK. Farming families are extremely resourceful, practical and good at managing projects and budgets. Easing of restrictions this last couple of years has given some farms temporary opportunity to see how it might go. 
    https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/diversification/so-you-want-to-open-a-campsite

    Interesting video Ted, thanks for that. 

    We have probably spent 90% of our UK based holidays on farms. Fantastic cottages, lodges, caravan and camping sites. All very well run, interesting places with dedicated and friendly people👍

     

  • obbernockle
    obbernockle Forum Participant Posts: 616
    500 Comments
    edited January 2022 #4

    The farming industry has public funds available for diversification. There may be resistance in some rural areas to tourism of any kind, and especially the poor perceived image which caravanning of all types has. We know people who have publicly declared "over my dead body". Not nice, but true.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,828 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #5

    There are locations where a CL can get a steady flow of visitors all year round and it can be a viable small business ,  but here in Cornwall the tourist trade is peaks and troughs.

    So here we have lots of farms who are looking to take far more than five visitors in the summer month, knowing they will be quiet in the rest of the year. They aren’t interested in becoming a CL, so they go for planning permission and open more than one field - Trewithen Farm, Court Farm, Fursdon Farm, Lower Pennycrocker  Farm, Macdonalds Farm and many, many others in this area have gone down that road. Being a CL doesn’t grab them. Five is too small a number to attract them.

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