Loosing More CLs, why?

If you are an oddball then I am too but I think that we in the minority that we are prepared to pay more to have the smaller CLs. So many of the club members seems to think that CL should equal low cost because it doesn't have all the bells and whistles but that is exactly why I like them. I pay for the chance to be just one of five.

Imagine running a B&B, with bedrooms vacant, but only being allowed to take members of one particular Club, and having to refuse customers who are members of the other Club, and having to refuse customers who are not members of any Club at all. It would be a crazy way to run a B&B.

No wonder some CLs are pretty empty - because they are operating within rules like that.

I don't know if we oddballs are a minority, most of the CC members I know say they would not be in the CC were it not for CL's.

All l I am doing is looking at reasons why the Cl network is  shrinking. It could be Size is too restrictive. Prices are too high in view of the recent expansion into the touring market by what used to be static sites. We want too many facilities so the differential between CC and Cl is too little. Limited advertising confined to hand book. Inability to allow non members in. The list goes on-like most things there is no simple answer. The harsh reality is as mentioned here there is a marked decline in numbers and very few new sites opening. I don't have an answer  but I now use a variety of sites whilst in the past it was almost exclusively Cls.

Eurotraveller - you raise an excellent point.  CL's have been asking the Club for a number of years to be allowed to sell Non Members a Membership when they arrive on a CL (what I'd call a 'drive-in') or call at the last minute.  

So far, the Club has declined to incentivise us to do this..

• It would bring some additional members into the club and boost the revenue of the club long term
• It would be another incentive for CL owners to check Membership details
• It would align with the policy at Club Sites (where Membership can be sold)
• It would align with the policy of the C&CC (CS's earn £ from this)
• It might earn the CL's a small commission

I'm hoping, that after repeated requests, the Club suggest CL's to sell membership packs in 2017, and receive a small commission from the Club for their efforts.

Is there anything stopping a CL from breaking away from the club and operating on their own?  I know of a few CLs that have done this and now they are busier.

It may be that most of the members that you come across are on CLs ?? 

Indeed the CL network is good but most caravanners that I know (neighbours near my home) do not use CLs but are still CC members

Some of us stay at basic cl's not only because we prefer them but because they are the only ones we can afford.

We struggle to afford our subscription. I had understood that, originally the club had introduced cl's  partly for this reason.

Perhaps we are the only ones in the CC in this position....

My OH and I are both retired and try to be careful with the cash. It is nice to have very good facilities etc. but we generally use CL's as we are very rarely in the caravan all day, so really we are only 'parking' there. We have no qualms about using our own shower if necessary are quite satisfied with that situation. It is very nice when we do go on a bigger site but each to their own. Whatever floats your boat as they say. I would be very surprised debroos, if you were the only ones.

Nothing at all as long as they get planning permission for a larger site.