Campsites closing at the end of the 2024 season
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The issue that would raise if the club did publish that type of information to it's membership is if a member didn't agree with a decision it would be posted on CT and other social media sites within minutes and therefore putting that information into the public domain. The Club could issue minutes etc but they would need to be heavily redacted and not worth reading.
Just my thoughts but I can't think of a club or a scheme that I'm a member of that publishes minutes of meetings etc apart from those required for legal and regulatory purposes.
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Surly Rowena's post spells it out quite clearly. And unsustainable is pretty clear too.
I asked you before PD and you may have answered and I missed it, did you use any of these sites recently?
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And a club one has to pay a fairly substantial fee and then pay again if one wants to use club sites. So if it's run not to your liking why pay on membership, ok that might be for none site use, but then why pay to use club sites? Or if like you have found sites much cheaper (with bar and entertainment)what does it matter to you?
People paying in the largest indicator of elected members doing their job right in my view.
I don't care if it's a club or business as a long as it provides what I want
SP here again full by the way with MHs too. I counted three empty pitches on driving round to the SP area, so the people who made the decisions for this site really got it correct.
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So if it's run not to your liking why pay on membership,
That is something you come up with time and time again and it is something I increasingly think about. I am in my 36th year of continuous membership and wondering if there is any point in seeing it out for my final years of touring, after all, unlike the C&CC, there is no incentive to remain a continuous member. I could give up membership this year and only rejoin if I need to. I would miss the CLs though.
peedee
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Nor sure what my repeating it has to do with anything. I have stated that I really cannot understand how anyone remains in the club, any club, that does not give them what they want or like.
Yes there are other valid advantages besides club sites but if there are so many things not to one's liking then why remain.
I'm often seen as a loyal club user and supporter but I have also stated that once the club doesn't offer me what I require then I'm out. Now of course I've been saying that for years and the club continues in the way I like it.
I'm glad I've helped you with your thoughts but it appears you're more loyal than I am, and that's a compliment by the way.
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I have stated that I really cannot understand how anyone remains in the club, any club, that does not give them what they want or like.
You cannot change anything from the outside, better to be on the inside and voice your views which if your passionate enough about, take them to a higher authority. The Club does provide the conduits.
peedee
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The last time I looked the Club’s mission statement read:
‘Our vision and ultimate goal is to continue to help our members get more from the great outdoors by meeting our present needs, without compromising the needs of our future generations.’
I’m pretty sure all on the committees involved in these discussions and resultant decisions have paid due diligence to this above.
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On the Regional website. I think most Regions have one. There are probably links on the Club's pages somewhere under Membership. Try this https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/about-us/divisions-and-regions/
peedee
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I wonder if it is down to lack of hard standings, walking distance to a pub, lack of a nearby bus stop, with the move to motor homes increasing it could be that simple. I just think some people realise this after the move from a motor caravan to a motor home.
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I assume you mean from a caravan to a motorhome but, tbh, I wouldn’t consider the lack of a bus stop to be a disadvantage at all. One big advantage we found is being able to take the motorhome out for the day and have all our facilities with us. I know some people see it differently but, to my mind, that’s why you have an engine and wheels. 🙂
My thoughts are that the majority of folk simply want full facility sites.
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Certainly most of the things you mention would influence our choice of site. Different when we had a caravan but interestingly we still looked for sites where we didn't have to take the car off site. Remote sites are fine if you are only there for a day or two with a motorhome but any longer you tend to need to be nearer things. Hopefully people would realise this before swapping from a caravan to a motorhome?
David
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As one who favoured the Club's minimal facility sites over the all singing, all dancing variety which obviously win the day for most members, I'm saddened by their inevitable closure. There were already rather few of them, and so choosing them could only occur when they happened to be in the area you wished to visit. To suggest that you use Club sites miles away rather misses the point. What you do is track down a non-club alternative which is quite likely to be cheaper...
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So win win, what's to be sad about?
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Nunnykirk was affordable, unlike almost all the other club sites. In fact it was the only club site we used, everything else was a CL. We've had four separate weeks at Nunnykirk over the years, the most recently this June, and it's a great location for Wallington, Cragside, and also the Simonside estate.
Nunnykirk is "from £13.40" and the closest - Breamish - is from "£20.40". That's a huge price difference over a week's holiday, and you're basically paying a 50% premium for toilet facilities - which all caravans and motorhomes already have.
Poor decision by the club.
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I think the point you raised about have toilets doesn't bear any relevance, just because all outfits have them doesn't mean people want to, or have to, use them and I don't think that's why it is closing although a deciding factor added to the others in my view
Of more importance is that Nunnykirk is all grass which is perhaps just not what the majority of current members want. At River Breamish you are also paying a premium as you put it, although I call it paying for a better site around, for the hardstandings on all pitches and new facilities block, which is perhaps what the majority do want?
River Breamish was just like Nunnykirk a few years ago (I put a photo on upthred somewhere) until it was refurbished. Before then it didn't get much use but now it's very popular with great facilities.
So you had two almost identical sites near each other, though RB is in a better location perhaps, one was refurbished, one wasn't. One had to close due to people not using it yet the other is doing very well. There's got to be something there as to why? Especially as in peak (now) it's almost double the Nunnykirk price for a couple - £41.60 v £20.90.
Good decision(s) by the club in my view.
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There will be other closures at the end of the season. The club has just so many sites in non-places and is finally getting round to rational thinking.
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All the sites that are closing seem to be reasonably priced, even if compared to some CL's? Yet despite the value they are not well used. I have just seen a video of a Boules Competition at Broomfield Farm (another site about to be closed) The people were obviously having a good time but when the video went round you could see in the background a lot of empty hardstanding pitches. There is obviously something forcing the Club to be more hard nosed in its approach to sites they keep open. As they often say, use them or lose them!
David
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What are "non-places" please, Euro?🤔 Everywhere is a place and some will suit some people whilst others will suit different people.
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It saddens us that such sites are being closed. We are used to caravanning without toilet blocks and indeed electricity.
To a greater degree we object to paying out for a shower and toilet block within our daily fee to the club. We pay even it we don't use them and prefer our own on board facilities.
We haven't used these eco sites, as we haven't had the chance. We did use the site at Killen some time ago. Lovely site
If the Club is going down the line of not having sites with out a toilet block, then we suggest that there should be charging structure for units that don't want to use the facilities provided.
Charge for the pitch only and electric, but put in place a pay as you go for all persons who want to use the on site facilities. That way members would only pay for what they use, certainly for us, it considerably cut down costs on touring.
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a pay as you go for all persons who want to use the on site facilities...members would only pay for what they use
So what cost charge would you put on a 'visit'?
The thing is club prices are what they are, the are openly displayed and one knows what one is getting no one is forced to use a club site. but... and it's a big but (sorry no pun intended) those sites that have facilities are well used, those that don't have them are not. This must tell you something about what club sites expect or want?
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It all goes to prove the old saying of "use it or lose it". It’s a shame you've never had the chance to use the closing sites but there are still some out there. Stover in Devon and Cadeside in Somerset are 2 crackers that spring to mind.
When it comes to paying for what you use, I fear your pay as you go idea is a retrograde step which would incur costs to administer and thus push up the overall price of the stay. Should CAMC also charge for access to the kiddies' play area, the dog walk, the info room, the veg prep/washing up facilities…. What a nightmare scenario!
The sites are what they are. People either pay for the whole package or don’t use club sites.
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Just had an email from a friend who is on Ilminster near Chard site and very quiet as they have closed all facilities this year with low fees and said that the staff had the site to themselves/ for 2 nights last week and the site is closing at the end of 2025 season not enough bookings it sounds like and a shorter season next year a shame as we have stayed on this site twice a few years ago and enjoyed it, think there will be more closures next year the way things are going.
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Nearly £25 per night for a couple, without any facilities. Closes second week in September as well. There’s obviously a business plan to ditch the cheap sites, get the income in from the £40+ a night sites. Suspect this won’t be the last to go.
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I wonder…..do we have a divide here…….those who are happy to use their own facilities entirely, and those who are possibly happy to empty shower/kitchen waste and liquid toilet waste but not solids?
I would think that those of us who have been Caravanning/MHing since the 70s are more relaxed on toilet emptying as site facilities were more basic then.
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Whilst its very sad that sites are closing I imagine the Club have done the sums? It seems they have more confidence that somewhere like Lickpenny, which has just been purchased, is a better long term prospect than the non facility sites which they are closing? Even the more successful CL's now seem to have facilities that match main sites? You used to see posts on some forums asking why manufacturers waste time putting showers in caravans! So perhaps Kj has a point about people only wanting sites with good facilities?
David
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