Gravel with a View (hard standing. Blot on the landscape)

[samsi]

Here are 2 pics of the same CC site 'Hillhead', a B4 and after.
/sites/practicalcaravan.com/files/images/hl%20b4.jpg

/sites/practicalcaravan.com/files/images/hl%20now.jpg

So the the question is would you if you had any sense spend a week in your van on a rural Tesco/Sainsburys/Waitrose car-park, just because it has a view and excellent on site amenities.
I am not against Hard Standing, but the way cc ceate and destroy the sites
It seems to me all the the people of the 70s/80s, the Benidorm holiday generation have now taken up caravanning, seem to think this is what is best for club sites, The club wants to give them what they want. But is it not Time to take stock and stop the wanton destruction of Green and Pleasant club sites?

 

[Dustydog]

Very interesting considering Hillhead has only been open a few years.
I suspect the grass pitches were turned into mud baths due to poor weather and over use of awning groundsheets. Realistically how many people do lift the groundsheet each day, breathable or not??

I'm surprised all the grass has been removed . Sitting on gravel for a BBQ doesn't excite me. Plus all the grit that enters the caravan.
Surely there is an affordable green man made option available?

 

[otherclive]

Duplicate Post

 

[otherclive]

We are members of both clubs but increasingly find we now use C&CC when we book on a mainstream site. The main reason being that their sites still have a nice mix of grass and hard standing. I've commented before on how the CC sites are becoming more like a HGV parking area and even when there is some grass left it is so pitifully small that you can hardly sit on it let alone have a nice BBQ. It first hit us in Troutbeck in the Lakes and its got worse since then. So our normal breaks now benefit the C&CC and CL and CS owners as opposed to main CC sites.

 

[Surfer]

Not the type of site we would like to visit and I bet you probably bend rock pegs hammering into that ground!

 

[woodsieboy]

I suspect CC will look at the revenue that can be generated from hardstandings,as they can be used all year round,and the maintenance is probably minimal versus a grass pitch,I think Hillhead may be open all year or best part of a year so hardstandings are useful in the winter. Cirencester Park has increased its number of hardstanding pitches,but still has a good choice of grass as well.

 

[Raywood]

We are quite happy with hardstandings provided they have a reasonable amount of grass between them and most CC sites do. The ones in the photo do look rather short on grass though and we would not book thhe site if that was the best they could offer. The CC handbook details the size of the site and number of pitches. On some you are squeezed in like sardines so check this and avoid the overcrowded ones.

 

[lulubelle]

hi Samsi

Just returned from Cheltenham ~Racecourse CC site and camped on what only could be described as an upmarket car park, It spoilt the end of a very good holiday on CL sites, complete with lots of grass and excellent facilities. It would not have surprised me if motorised street cleaner had appeared to keep it all ***** and span.
I am not a regular user of CC sites or CCC sites, but for certain I will be giveing this one a miss in future. I come in the category of the older generation and most definately do not like hard standings. I was not the only person at the site who felt that this way, but it would appear that the CC think this is the way forward.

lulubelle

 

[Raywood]

If you are worried about the site you are thinking about look at the pictures on the internet and you will see what the spacing is, also look at the size of the site and number of pitches. If they are getting over 15 to the acre the site is probably one where outfits are crammed in.
A few CC sites have tarmac areas which show up as non awning pitches and many motorhomers prefer them as they are flat but we like our grass and avoid them.