Loss of pitches

[FrintonMike]

Park holidays have a number of sites in essex and we noticed that at the Clacton on sea site statics were being placed on the touring field and their brochure for next year no longer showed touring pitches at that site.
In todays local paper Par Holidays say that they are selling so many statics due to staycationers they hve run out of space to put the staticsso they are using the touring field

 

[Damian]

This is what has happened at Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight.
All the once touring park has been taken over by statics, reducing the touring pitches to the bottom left corner.

 

[Hutch]

Yes we are loosing touring pitches, personally we do not go to those sites but tourers are going to loose out, maybe Cl/Cs sites will come up a bit more .

 

[otherclive]

Yes we are loosing touring pitches, personally we do not go to those sites but tourers are going to loose out, maybe Cl/Cs sites will come up a bit more .

The good news from CMHC is that CL numbers have gone up by a lot more than they have gone down. I suspect the same could be the case for CCC too.

 

[Beachball]

We do go to some CMHC & CCC and 5CL but there is alot of seasonal pitches on touring sites now but we like Adult parks and we prefered quiet sites

 

[ProfJohnL]

I'd agree the loss of touring pitches is disappointing, but at the same time the sites have to take measures to protect their existence, and if there is more reliable income from statics and of course the local planning department give is approval that might be the way these sites survive.

The alternative might be the sites close permanently, either way there is a loss of touring pitches.

Such decisions cannot be taken lightly, as to install statics there has to be investment in the sites infrastructure, like hard standings for them, sewerage, water and power. Then there's the management of the statics, if their rented out, there's cleaning maintenance and statutory safety inspections, Insurance and breakages, etc. There may be an adjustment for the rates they have to pay

It really isn't just a spur of the moment change, there has to be considerable financial and building works planning.

 

[Raywood]

I do understand the site owners approach and assume that they have planning permission. It is a sad loss of sites though and while we do not use them it means those that would have are booking elsewhere and reducing the choice for the rest of us. From what I know of sites selling statics though, I would not touch them.

 

[audiorob]

I too would not chose to stay at a site where a few tourer pitches are available on a predominantly static van site, but each to their own. When you look at the annual ground rents and service charges that are income from owner static vans that is a stable predictable income for the site owners you begin to understand why - plus they all have full facilities on board so no longer need for shower blocks and water points and their maintenance and upkeep. Still presumably that will add pressure to other pitches on the Isle instead.

 

[Beachball]

We went to a Camping and caravan club site in Lincolnshire there was 22 Seasonal Pitches and only eight touring pitches it was quiet lovely welcome fully service pitches, Shower Toiletblock / disabled facilities . nice dog walk

 

[Dustydog]

Yes tears will be shed. All these fast buck killings on statics won’t last. Equally next year there will be thousands of tourers back on the market once the C19 is well under control. The speculators going for statics will miss out as normal service will resume and the punters head to Spain etc. Watch this space and stay calm. Touring is here for ever!

 

[Kevin M]

We fancy swapping our 2 berth for a larger twin axle fixed bed, prob wait till the end of next year and see what happens with the market.
On the site we are on this weekend there are 2 lovely twin axle Buccaneer vans and next to us is an equally lovely Elddis.
Best get saving my pocket money 😂

 

[otherclive]

We fancy swapping our 2 berth for a larger twin axle fixed bed, prob wait till the end of next year and see what happens with the market.
On the site we are on this weekend there are 2 lovely twin axle Buccaneer vans and next to us is an equally lovely Elddis.
Best get saving my pocket money 😂

When we were out from July to October I remarked to my wife that Buccaneers seemed to be leading the battle of the twin axles as they far outnumbered the Baileys or Swift’s. Nice looking vans.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Yes tears will be shed. All these fast buck killings on statics won’t last. Equally next year there will be thousands of tourers back on the market once the C19 is well under control. The speculators going for statics will miss out as normal service will resume and the punters head to Spain etc. Watch this space and stay calm. Touring is here for ever!

Ooh that's a bit polarised! I definitely don't think going to statics is a "fast buck" business move. I hope that one of my earlier posts pointed out that changing from touring to statics is not a simple thing and requires quite a lot of forethought and injection of capitol, and getting planning permision which is rarely "fast".

I can understand how some site owners might be looking to stabilise their income, and that is a sensible thing to do, And I can understand how touring caravanners might feel its a bad move, but I have used many mixed sites, and l admit we shy'ed away from the the really big sites, but realistically I can't say its been a problem. In fact with children, some of the sites facilities were a great thing.

Obviously as with so many things choices are personal.

 

[otherclive]

I’ve been on sites with statics in U.K. and Europe; no problem , the CMHC now allow tents, they have mini bungalows and tents. CCC will have lodges, pods and glamping tents too. The world has changed and Clubs et al have recognised it. My kids and grandkids think we are mad to tow a caravan at our age! Wouldn’t a lodge with hot tub be better are the sort of comments. Translated that mean “Dad/grandad will you take us to a nice lodge with hot tub and fire pit”. The answer was a booking for a timber two storey lodge in May 2021. But I will stay home and look after the dogs and rabbits.
Seriously though with CL/CS, Clubs’ sites Affiliated Sites and private sites there must be adequate touring sites to chose from.

 

[Beachball]

We fancy swapping our 2 berth for a larger twin axle fixed bed, prob wait till the end of next year and see what happens with the market.
On the site we are on this weekend there are 2 lovely twin axle Buccaneer vans and next to us is an equally lovely Elddis.
Best get saving my pocket money 😂

Hi Kev I hope you having a nice time i have two friends who both have Buccaneer caravans and they are great .

 

[Beachball]

This is what has happened at Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight.
All the once touring park has been taken over by statics, reducing the touring pitches to the bottom left corner.
View attachment 963

I have a friend he been going to this site for years and this year he did not go because he said it been taken over with statics he said it not his cup of tea anymore.

 

[Raywood]

Knowing the manager of a static site I can see the pitfalls. They give a ten year lease and after that require the static to be removed or replaced. Workout the cost per year of that site when paying for it and the ground rent etc. When they ask you to remove it you have the problem that even if you can you need them to allow you to bring a heavy lorry onto the site or sell it to a contact they have who offers a pittance. This is possibly extreme for a very popular site who can get away with it but many will do a similar thing after 15 or 20 years. On top of that even if the current owners are fair and reasonable this can change and new owners change everything including upping the charges. Basically you are laying out very considerable sums with very little protection and that is plain stupid to me.
On top of that we do not want to be going to the same place all the time although that is a personal preference.

 

[Buckman]

On some sites where statics are predominant we found that some static owners think they are wardens and reprimand you for no reason i.e. walking with your dog through the statics to get to the dog area.
On one such site we were about to unhook when we were told that we could not park there. We thought the person was a warden so moved onto another pitch. Turned out they were keeping the pitch for friends.

 

[Buckman]

Knowing the manager of a static site I can see the pitfalls. They give a ten year lease and after that require the static to be removed or replaced. Workout the cost per year of that site when paying for it and the ground rent etc. When they ask you to remove it you have the problem that even if you can you need them to allow you to bring a heavy lorry onto the site or sell it to a contact they have who offers a pittance. This is possibly extreme for a very popular site who can get away with it but many will do a similar thing after 15 or 20 years. On top of that even if the current owners are fair and reasonable this can change and new owners change everything including upping the charges. Basically you are laying out very considerable sums with very little protection and that is plain stupid to me.
On top of that we do not want to be going to the same place all the time although that is a personal preference.

Very true. A new static can cost you in excess of £40k and then 10 years later you are lucky to be offered a grand or two so £38k plus interest etc down the pan. The static park owner has you in a clinch hold from whence there is little escape if they have a 10 year term on the pitch plus of course you have the annual cost for services etc which is normally another 3 -4 grand.

 

[Kevin M]

Very true. A new static can cost you in excess of £40k and then 10 years later you are lucky to be offered a grand or two so £38k plus interest etc down the pan. The static park owner has you in a clinch hold from whence there is little escape if they have a 10 year term on the pitch plus of course you have the annual cost for services etc which is normally another 3 -4 grand.

We were away in a posh static a few weeks ago, it was basically 2 statics joined together so called a lodge. Very smart and comfy and actually for sale at £135k, that did include 2021 pitch fees at 4.5k so bit of a bargain 😂

 

[Beachball]

My cousin brought a fairly new static at a site in Bridlington paid out £23k with rent included for the coming year . (he use to have Hobby Twin Axle leather upholstery island bed it was a luxury caravan)
He kept the static for some years then he got bored going to the same place he got a good price for it when he sold it like someone said there was some touring pitches nearby and they reserve them with the site office for there friends and family because he had a caravan he did not think it was fair . .

 

[Beehpee]

I’ve been to small sites with just tourers and I’ve been to a Don Amott site in Mablethorpe several times and we’ve already booked a 3 week slot in July next year, when you enter the site it has statics in endless rows but when you’ve followed the road down you come to the touring section where it is just tourers, I’d hazard a guess at a couple of hundred tourer pitches, we use the lake for fishing, there is a little outside entertainment which we use sparingly, a great restaurant, a shop for all your needs, very commercialised but it’s up to all of us to choose what we use and what we don’t it’s actually about a 15 minute drive to mablethorpe centre and there loads of place to go to within half an hour, I see people on here mention they hate commercials and only use small CL/CS sites, I’m the opposite I wouldn’t touch the small 5 caravan sites even if they were free but I think it’s great for people who like them to have the option, each to there own is my motto, my best friend has a small motor home about same size as a VW Camper, I’m the same about those size motor homes, if I were given one free I’d sell it and buy something with more space and comfort, if we were all the same it would be a very boring world we lived in.

BP

 

[Dustydog]

Ooh that's a bit polarised! I definitely don't think going to statics is a "fast buck" business move. I hope that one of my earlier posts pointed out that changing from touring to statics is not a simple thing and requires quite a lot of forethought and injection of capitol, and getting planning permision which is rarely "fast".

I can understand how some site owners might be looking to stabilise their income, and that is a sensible thing to do, And I can understand how touring caravanners might feel its a bad move, but I have used many mixed sites, and l admit we shy'ed away from the the really big sites, but realistically I can't say its been a problem. In fact with children, some of the sites facilities were a great thing.

Obviously as with so many things choices are personal.

You missed the point Prof.
C19 has resulted in a major rethink by millions on their holiday plans. A brand new Static where ever has an attraction to them. Same way they all want dogs or some want tourers. Once C19 is over these short lived plans will melt and there will be tears. Not sure who’s.
Meanwhile us old die hard are losing pitch places. My point has nothing at all to do with tourers swapping to Statics. More so the go abroad brigade .

 

[Beachball]

I to have been to a site with statics, lodges, touring pitches and a fishing pond also a Swimming pool restaurant this place was a Adult Park we had been going for some years until more lodges were taking over i use to love a spot near the pond could never get it anymore and the prices kept going up . so now i prefered a quiet site i dont mind if it comes with a fishing pond . as you say each to your own .

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Dusty,

I didn't miss the point at all. It s highly unlikely the sites that are converting touring pitches to statics, are doing so just because of the C19 effect. The plans to finance and get planning permission for the introduction of statics would have had to be put in place probably before C19 raised its head. And given the uncertainty about travel even within the UK that C19 has brought I think its very unlikely many sites could put together all the necessary permissions and resources for a knee-jerk reaction to the pandemic.

I suspect there may well have been other factors such a Brexit and the uncertainty of easy access to Europe and beyond which was mooted well before C19. Also another subject that has been touched on in the forum is the rise of lighter cars and EV's that have less ability to tow touring vans.

Despite the recent low cost of travel to sunnier climbs, the static holiday home parks have seen steady increase in popularity over the years, They have grown rather than shrunk. I think the issue is more of a long term plan which C19 happened to coincide with.