CL Pricing - just a conspiracy theory

Sounds like a good location for us too M1. I could be wrong, but I seem to recall there’s not that many CL’s in Dorset with the facilities we require. Pretty sure we’ve never visited Sherborne or Dorchester either 👍

Oh M1, when do you anticipate opening?

We have friends in Thornford so it sounds as if you might be very well placed for us when we visit them.

All sounds good, mp. Definitely one for use to consider when you are up and running. I'll be keeping my eyes open for the name Cherry Cottage in the list of new CLs. Hope that it's soon and that all goes well with it's setting up, and that you get many visits when it does.

LTC - Thornford is probably about 5 miles from us, so we would be ideally located for you.  

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement, its really appreciated.  

We are hoping to open early/mid summer. 

As a fellow CL owner, I fully endorse Ian's observations.  What I would add is that there has been a paradigm shift in costs borne, not only by CLs but all caravan and motorhome sites.

10 years ago, electric heating of vans was rare.  Vans were heated by on-board gas, purchased by the van owner.   

Today, the vast majority of modern vans are heated by electricity, paid for by the site owner.  This has vastly increased the costs of all sites and hence the rise in pitch fee that are so often complained about.  

Also, more councils are charging CLs for business rates, rubbish collection etc. etc. than they were.

I think you can expect an increasing number of CLs - particularly new ones - to install electric meters.

“10 years ago, electric heating of vans was rare. Vans were heated by on-board gas, purchased by the van owner.”

I believe electric heating was as common 10 years ago as it is today. Even 20 years ago it was still common. That is not to deny costs have increased but electric heating is not a recent innovation and my first van with electric heating was built in 1992.

Yes, when we bought our previous van in 1998, all the vans we looked at came with both electric and gas heating.

Our first van, back in 1973, had no heating at all, but once EHUs became more available I fitted a hook up point to the van and we used a small electric fan heater.  That must have been back in the late 70s.

Quite so, KJ. Site costs may well have risen in recent years but it cannot be blamed on electric heating becoming available in the last 10 years. That appears to be searching for a scapegoat to hang the increased cost label on. What has happened in recent years is that caravanning has become much more popular. 

We still own a 1984 example of dual heating. Both water and space heating. But it doesn’t have a microwave, an electric hob or lots of other fancy electronic gadgets.😀

Electrical consumption has rocketed on most sites, without a doubt. The genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no going back if anyone wanted to now. It’s down to individual preference how power needs and usage are managed. Personally, metering wouldn’t be an issue for us, we have long got used to using metered cottages down the years, although these are becoming more of a rarity. We have a few friends who own CLs, it’s becoming a major topic of conversation about how much power some visitors consume. And these are not folks who rely on CL for major income, just as an add on to other main businesses. Folks are turning up with huge outfits, huge awnings, extra fridges, two TVs, electric blankets, space heaters, etc..... We have had vans next to us blow 16amps day after day. Personally, I would rather pay £12 per night and metered electric rather than £20 all in. I know who would be winning.