Very Sad

[RogerL]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the CL network is now only around one third or so of the size that it once was,

I don't think the number of CL's has ever exceeded 3,000 and it's about 2,500 now.

 

[JTQ]

It is certainly very sad, for us it is the best feature of the CC throughout most of the season.
In the past you could look to visit almost any bit of the UK and find one or more Cls to make a stay-over possible. Now it is getting far more patchy.
I agree with Tony in that the loss is nothing new, over our 30+ years the CL infrastructure has been decimated, the club handbook being a thin shadow of what it was years ago.
One expects closures as the owners age and cant cope with the hassle etc. and sadly pass on, but for some reason these losses are not replaced by new land owners being recruited to the network.

I think it is something the Club needs to seriously address and seek a solution to getting more Cls. The membership has increased at a rate that overwhelms the pucker site pitches at many weekends and school holidays at least in locations accessible by the masses. This is I am sure is leaving old hands and new Club recruits disenchanted with the Club; what's the point of membership if it cant get even near meeting demands. It is now even more critical as the 'Baby Boomers' retire and seek fuel efficient breaks of more than 4/5 nights away; something the main sites can no longer guarantee without lengthy pre booking.

I am sure the statuary limit of 5 vans for exempt sites is a big factor. It must be near impossible to break even let alone make a profit given, tying up the land , admin cost, insurance, water meter standing and use charges, providing a loo pit [with possible disposal cost] and if reliant on the local authority for waste collection having to pay 'commercial rate' charges.
That only gets a basic CL without EHU, that adds the accompanying installation and reoccurring safety certification cost.
Without the EHU the site would struggle for any winter occupancies and whilst we are not among them many members now shun non EHU sites even in the main season. The CL owners are facing a changing clientèle that is not content to accept just a place in the countryside often with view or other charm.

So in other than 'honey-pot' locations that guarantee high occupancy I am sure running a CL/CS has little or no financial appeal. Several owners I know only do it because they want to share what they have with others that value the countryside or simply they value the companionship of members; for some it is otherwise a lonely life.

Another aspect that I witnessed two years back was the dreadful way a CC inspector with 'charisma bypass' bullied a very elderly couple re a minor issue. With that level of arrogant charm he could single handedly clear the whole CL network. Thankfully we and other regulars encouragements, together with the couple's own deep concern not to deprive their regulars has saved them from telling the Club where to go and adding to the loss list.

Unless we collectively want CL/CS that network will disappear and I expect 'we' will only realise what an asset we have lost when its gone. We could write a list of lovely CL/CSs we personally have lost and greatly miss but can find very few new ones to replace them..

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

So where do CC members go caravanning? Last time I analysed their published figures, the average member only uses club sites for about 5 nights/year (based on total club site revenue divided by number of members) - if they don't use CL's much they must be going somewhere.

So far we've only booked 8 weeks but broken down they are 1 week- CC CL, 3 weeks-CC main site and 4 weeks at the same private site in Cornwall. We are still members of the C&CC but so far haven't booked any with them so will have to consider whether to stick with them. It depends on what we plan for next year and if we think that it will give us more choice of sites we'll give it another year.

there you are Roger LB has provided you with an answer 8 weeks away and 1week on a CL, 7 weeks elsewhere.
I did say in my post that it was only last year that we tried using CL's and stayed at 6 of them (all in dorset and devon) for a total of 16 nights in all, that is out of 9 weeks away in the van. 5 weeks of this was on our favorite small commercial with free fishing on the river Tamar full facilities inc laundry "important when your away for long periods" something CL's seem to lack and with a discounted price of £50 a week all in "pre booked" we were going to go to the peak district but could not find suitable sites,
I know that 6 sites is not a representative sample of the CL network but when you compere like for like some of them are very basic indeed.

 

[RogerL]

I'll never understand why people pay £5,000 for a washroom they don't need.
Think about it, an end washroom is about a quarter of a caravan's internal length so with prices much nearer £20,000 than £10,000 that's a big chunk of money - but then the vast majority of caravanners pay more to go on sites with toilets/showers.
Toilets/Showers on CLs are a Catch-22 - costs are involved which puts the prices up but then they're competing with local commercials but still can't get the revenue because they've only got 5 pitches.

 

[Dustydog]

I'll never understand why people pay £5,000 for a washroom they don't need.

Tell me you never use yours Roger. Maybe you qualify for the Woosie Club!!

 

[RogerL]

I'll never understand why people pay £5,000 for a washroom they don't need.

Tell me you never use yours Roger. Maybe you qualify for the Woosie Club!!

We use our washroom so it's money well spent for us - we prefer non-facility sites, or even wild camping in Scotland, but even when we're on sites with toilets/showers we use our own as it saves getting cold and/or wet going out to the site facilities.

 

[Surfer]

Perhaps the book is smaller because the print font is half the size it used to be or is that my eyesight? Agree with Roger about using our own facilities 100% of the time especially as the one and only time I used a site shower, I ended up with an infection on my feet.

 

[RogerL]

Perhaps the book is smaller because the print font is half the size it used to be or is that my eyesight? Agree with Roger about using our own facilities 100% of the time especially as the one and only time I used a site shower, I ended up with an infection on my feet.

The Sites Directory is also slimmer because the paper is much thinner.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

Perhaps the book is smaller because the print font is half the size it used to be or is that my eyesight? Agree with Roger about using our own facilities 100% of the time especially as the one and only time I used a site shower, I ended up with an infection on my feet.

our van doesn't have an end washroom but a plasic coated paper wet room in the back 1/4, it's very small for a chunky sort of bloke and a disabled wife to use, we did try when at one of the CL's but had to use 5 towels 2 for us 3 for the shower room. my biggest worry though is the posibility of damp emminating from it's continued use it does not look very water tight to me??
ps. regarding the foot infection thats what Crocs and flip flops are made for.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Agree with Roger about using our own facilities 100% of the time especially as the one and only time I used a site shower, I ended up with an infection on my feet.

We use our own most of the time but both of us use the site showers occasionally but when we do we always wear crocs because of the reason you mention.

 

[ZeGecko]

Our friends daughter and son in-law bought a small farm with a CL. As new owners, a self employed designer and an IT software boffin they wanted a home with land. They didn't want ,need or have time for a camping site business.

We have only used our vans shower about a dozen times in 3 years. Personally I wouldn't be seen dead in Crocs and we've not had any foot infections since school days. Could be because of our sanitising antibacterial body scrub shower gel ;-)

 

[Surfer]

Personally I wouldn't be seen dead in Crocs and we've not had any foot infections since school days. Could be because of our sanitising antibacterial body scrub shower gel ;-)

I think they look stupid and unhygenic, but that is just me! I am assuming that crocs are those plastic things with some holes that people put on their feet. If they are always makes me think of stinky feet. Yech!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Personally I wouldn't be seen dead in Crocs

I think they look stupid and unhygenic, but that is just me! I am assuming that crocs are those plastic things with some holes that people put on their feet. If they are always makes me think of stinky feet. Yech!

I said the same thing about 3 years ago when they only had psychodelic colours. All to do with the macho image I suppose

Once they sold them in black I swallowed my pride and bought a pair in Kings Lynn. Best thing I did because they are the most comfortable footwear I've ever worn. No sweaty feet, probably because of the aeration, but I've never suffered with stinky feet no matter what I wear on my trotters. I even wear them in the house and have a pair on now

I don't usually walk about sites in them though, unless I forget to take them off, just in the caravan, site showers and home.

 

[JTQ]

Getting back on topic, dicussing CLs; well finding my bright yellow Crocs in the lush long grass found on many CLs is easy even after the BBQ supporing beer and the second-ish glass of the dinner's full bodied red!
And the Granson says I look like a duck when I find them.
Now how could 'one' live like that on a formal CC site?
We must save our CLs.