How many is too many on a CL?

This year was the first time we were on a CL with 6 vans on, it was only overnight so not really a problem,  still loads of room.

If CL'S want to expand and have more vans they should apply to the local authority for planning permission as many do. A CL is for 5 vans only otherwise they are breaching the terms of their certificate. 

Many members seem to exhibit a complete lack of understanding regarding the exemption certificate for CL's. amongst other things the number of caravans was limited to five in order for the site to exist whilst causing the least inconvenience and disruption to the locality and it's environs and that is no different today,and to that end they are exempt from planning permission, there is no way a CL with more caravans would be given the same dispensation as there are many people in government departments and elsewhere that hate the fact that certain organisations are exempted from the planning laws and the most likely outcome of a request for more caravans on a CL would be to have the exemption system abolished altogether.
The CL's I visit with electric and wc abide by the rules and are happy with their lot.

Arguing for more caravans on a CL is quite illogical to me, it will just become the same as a club or commercial site and as for CL's closing, in the forty years I have used CL's this has always happened for various reasons, people move on and new ones open.
CL owners have quite legitimately circumnavigated the need for planning and agreed to the regulations in order to open a site with a maximum of five and they are at liberty to apply for planning permission for a bigger site at any time. At the same time members requiring a site with more caravans are at liberty to choose from hundreds of commercial or club sites.
Please leave our CL's alone and be careful what you wish for.

Good post, Vulcan. A little internet searching reveals the truth but involves quite a lot of reading. Meanwhile, the myths perpetuate.

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We booked a site recently in Norfolk and duly arrived to find 5 vans already on site but it appeared that one motorhome had started his engine and I thought he may be leaving - so I asked him. No he said. He was just moving along a bit to enable us to pitch!  He told me that the owner would not mind that we would make six vans on site - it happens all the time here. I was not happy with that. At the same time the owner walked towards us and said it did not bother him if it did  not bother me - but it DID bother me so we left and looked elsewhere for a pitch. My query would be 'would anyone arriving on site knowing that 5 vans were already on, be covered by site insurance should an accident occur'. After all we all know the rule about 5 vans so why break it?

I would not be happy to arrive on a CL and find that I was number 6. If there was a good reason (regardless of legalities) such as a vehicle breakdown, illness etc or, as I have had on a commercial site some selfish B leaving that day has gone off site and not returned until nearly 4pm, I would accept it.

As EasyT has not used Cls for 20 years he therefore is quite happy to see the numbers decreasing. Those of us who regularly use them are more worried with the decline and wonder whether another approach is required. Each to his own view.

We are at present on a CL that has 6 vans on tonight. It happened because one of the vans that arrived today was a week early!!! The caravanner had booked a pitch months ago and it would appear that they had forgotten the date they'd booked, and on arrival parked up on a vacant pitch. The person who was booked in for today then arrived to find no pitch available. What was the site owner to do....put an extra van on or ask the one who arrived early to leave and find another site? He chose the former as there is plenty of room on the site and then informed all the other's on site what had exactly had happened.

In regards to where you stand legally as a member on a site that is over booked. This would have no impact on yourselves, this is the responsibility of the CL owner to manage their bookings to ensure that they are not exceeding their capacity.

If a CL owner has more than 5 vans on site and that CL is insured via the CAMC (as many CLs are), does that fact that the owner over-books their CL invalidate their CL insurance, thereby creating problems for guests if a claim against the CL Owner is necessary?

Over to you Maddie!

I would think they would have to carry third party liability