Network Shrinkage

Tigerfish - Like me you got the same reasons. I suspect the decline will continue and increase with CC doing nothing as usual. Even the commercial sites are better and invariably cheaper than CC on a like for like basis of timing.

Even the commercial sites are better and invariably cheaper than CC

Not my general findings unless you use one of their offers. It is sad if there is an ongoing decline in the number of CLs though

No, F, they are not "invariably cheaper on a like for like basis" although they often have special offers for set periods of stay. (Like for like, I assume means a per night basis.)

Anyway, back to CLs, I too am sad to see the continued decline in numbers. Some don't help themselves, of course - how often do we read on here from members who have contacted CLs only to get no reply for some considerable time?

By contrast, only today, I've booked a CL in mid Wales for a week in June. Emailed this afternoon, heard back within an hour, emailed again for clarification and again heard back promptly. Maybe some CLs need to be a bit more reactive to member's enquiries (busy as I realise they are!) 

Edit - beat me to it, Alan!

Until the CC genuinely accepts that the CL network is important to them and realises that they are important to the survival of the whole business, the decline will continue.

Wake up CC and smell the coffee. Times are rapidly changing, and until you accept that the survival of the CL is the key to the survival of the whole business, you will be in a fatal spiral!

Once the CL network becomes so small that it is no longer of significance, many members like me will cease to be members, and then you will only have a chain of overpriced club sites to attract members.  That was fine once upon a time, but times have changed. Once you attracted members because membership meant that you could recoup your membership costs within about a year of frequent use. Today Club sites are dearer than many commercial sites offering similar facilities.  That is a recipe for disaster!

The coffee smell quite good outside!

TF

Seems to me that CLs  are an odd quirk resulting from a bit of planning legislation from long ago which the rest of the western world luckily escaped. Most CLs are in the wrong place and have the wrong provision and the wrong design for what the modern customer and certainly the modern motorhomer wants. More and more of them will fade away - and time too. 

You are of course entitled to your opinion ET but I would say that most are in the right place. The level of provision is debatable, as we all have differing wants/needs. As you can see from every other post many members do not want them to "fade away". 

If you are not a user of CLs it probably does not matter to you but you should respect the concerns of members that do use them.

Just a question to those that mainly use CL's or at at least are regular users of CL's. What is the general age profile of users, for example do you get many younger families use them or is the general experience that it is mainly the 50 plus age group who enjoy the peace and quiet offered?

David

There are a number of factors in play and many are  fairly recent.

1) Current ruling is over 60 years old and the tourism sector has changed

2) Planning regulations have been relaxed under Govmnt pressure, even in National Parks,

3) Diversification is the way forward for farmers and rural businesses.

4) Plethora of Government and Quango organisations advising and assisting farmers with diversification plans. Even Tourism grants are available.

5) Vans have changed from basic hut on wheels to luxury accommodation with all sorts of gizmos making the need for say EHU more prevelant

6) Motorhomes are a fairly new trend hence more need for hardstandings.

7) Financially impossible to provide the needed facilities with the 5 unit restriction.

8)Planning fees inconsequential in the cost of increasing unit numbers and planners have more control of sites that have planning permission.

9) Other organisations now using the system to directly to compete with CC.

10) The apparent  non interest by CC in te Cl network.

All in all the future looks bleak unless some action is taken.I realise this is anathema to some diehards but I can see no other way than a relaxation on numbers

What will kill the CL is members not wishing to pay enough for the privilege of using them and/or not using them. Although I have fond memories of the CL network right through the 1980s they were then pretty basic for the much part. A favourite bolt hole of mine was between Tarvin and Oscroft. Two rows of level flags, probably a manhole for emptying toilet and a wooden shed with toilet and handwash. They sold honey and beeswax that I finished home made furniture with. A few adjacent paddocks and I used to love to see the guinea fowl 'herd' go running off in the morning and back before dusk. It was useful as my wife had a number of aunts, uncles, cousins, also parents in the area and we attended christenings, marriages, birthdays etc.

The point is that I have no idea how much they charged but I doubt that it was as low as £1.50 a night which would be the equivalent of £8 or so now. 

There are a couple of CLs that I would wish to use when we visit certain areas. They have EHU and hard site track which I prefer. Toilets as well I think and possibly showers. Probably around £18 to £20 a night which is fine by me.

Can anybody remember what they were paying in the 80s?

Fisherman, - A very accurate summation of the current picture!

ET, That was a pretty insensitive  comment re CL's being in the wrong place, wrong provision & wrong design.  You obviously have never used them or you would appreciate that they are private initiatives by private owners on their own land.  It is a matter for them regarding location, provision & design.  They are natural locations that owners think might be useful to caravaners wishing to locate to their area.

TF