Campsites closing at the end of the 2024 season

Just had an email from a friend who is on Ilminster near Chard site and very quiet as they have closed all facilities this year with low fees and said that the staff had the site to themselves/ for 2  nights last week and the site is closing at the end of 2025 season not enough bookings it sounds like and a shorter season next year a shame as we have stayed on this site twice a few years ago  and enjoyed it, think there will be more closures next year the way things are going.

Nearly £25 per night for a couple, without any facilities. Closes second week in September as well. There’s obviously a business plan to ditch the cheap sites, get the income in from the £40+ a night sites. Suspect this won’t be the last to go.

I do hope you are wrong, Ttda, such a shame if we lost the North Yorkshire Moors site. It is reasonably well frequented during the season and has much going for it.

I wonder…..do we have a divide here…….those who are happy to use their own facilities entirely, and those who are possibly happy to empty  shower/kitchen waste and liquid toilet waste but not solids?

I would think that those of us who have been Caravanning/MHing since the 70s are more relaxed on toilet emptying as site facilities were more basic then.

Whilst its very sad that sites are closing I imagine the Club have done the sums? It seems they have more confidence that somewhere like Lickpenny, which has just been purchased, is a better long term prospect than the non facility sites which they are closing? Even the more successful CL's now seem to have facilities that match main sites? You used to see posts on some forums asking why manufacturers waste time putting showers in caravans! So perhaps Kj has a point about people only wanting sites with good facilities?

David

Yes, I would put myself in the second category.

I agree mickysf - that it would be such a shame if we lost NYM - but - as I reported upthread, when we were there last month, it was barely half full for the week we were there.  Compare that with two years previously when, at exactly the same time of year, it was almost full to capacity.

One thing I have noticed is that when we first started going there, the pitch price was well below the average pitch price we paid for all sites during a particular year, whereas now, NYM has become about the average -- and that compares with sites, particularly CLs and CS's that have either fully serviced pitches - or the ability to improvise in that direction.

Although it might not influence us in deciding whether or not to stay there, it might influence others perhaps being perceived as not offering the value for money that it once did. This can only be as a result of a decision by the Club and it seems to me that they have priced themselves out of that particular sector of the market, deliberately or otherwise.

In the summer months when the sun is shining and the ground is hard, we tend to use camping club temporary holiday sites. They only provide water and waste but at around £10 to £15 per night are all we need and we find them preferable to any club sites. We don't use bigger sites except during early and late season.

I am sure that if you have a caravan then NYM, and you don't mind using your own facilities, is a good possibility for a stay but if you have a motorhome (now 50% of the membership apparently) it's too far out in the sticks even despite its good value, how can people complain about £25 a night? Sandford House Farm the other side of Whitby would be my choice for that area. Good bus service at the end of the site road. You can walk down to the beach, and on into Whitby,  (the walk back might be difficult for some as its steep?) The site has good quality facilities. That is what NYM is up against. We would not avoid a site because it didn't have a facility block as we always used our own facilities but it seems, increasingly, that more members are requiring showers and toilets. 

David

All sorts of members go to remote, no facilities sites and say how much they enjoy it  -  - for short spells. Whether they would go and live there for months as wardens on a site without modern facilities is another matter.
But if the Club is finding it difficult to staff these sites then a family could offer to take over, on a lease or a franchise, and see if they can make a profitable living. But I doubt if they will.