Booking ahead is unfair at some sites

Re your last sentence - what has that got to do with motorhome members?  I'm a caravanner just in case you're interested.

"The Club needs to bring in a deposit system and also a prefered pitch number option."

And someone's not read all the available info.

Too late, Koongara, it’s on the way but not quite as you believe it should be done.

If a family can only get weekends off work, it matters not whether they own a MH or a Caravan....they will just book for when they can.

if they paid a deposit for those weekends, that would t help you either.

the mantra (just like Fred Pontin used to say) is 'book early'.

the mantra (just like Fred Pontin used to say) is 'book early'.

Indeed. I’m not sure how deposits, or even booking a specific pitch number are going to make it any easier to book sites as popular as Baltic Wharf, Chatsworth etc for a 10 day period. Unless you plan ahead. We once managed to book Baltic Wharf for a full week during the Balloon festival, but did have to do it 12 months before.😀

Do you think the new booking system could make things worse I note that  some members prefer grass pitches but with the present system they appear to be the last pitches to be taken up, so with our future bookings we will try and book a hardstanding if not available I may well give that site a miss rather than book and hope one is available as with the present system thus perhaps resulting in unused pitches ??  At present we do book well ahead at the moment  using service pitches for long stays 

I think the 'choose a pitch type' change will favour those who plan ahead and, perhaps as above, have longer stays.

with those who tour more spontaneously, perhaps not knowing if they will have (say) two, three or four nights prior to finding the next site, they might be at a disadvantage in poor conditions as most of the HS pitches will be booked.

we do tour in the UK but don't particularly like the idea of a commitment to a specific number of days in a particular place irrespective of the interest it may (or may not) hold...

having said that, if you want to be guaranteed a 'joined up' long tour in the uk at anytime other than mid winter, you need to commit, but several days booked in a (new) place that turns out to be a damp squib would frustrate, knowing that in other places, you just shrug the shoulders and move on.

The deposit scheme will help those who can commit early, want a longer stay, and use primarily Club Sites. A win, win, win for the Club, which is ultimately what all this is about.
Those who love the Club Sites will be a lot happier, those like us who see Club Sites only as a small part of touring, will just continue to do what we usually do, maybe not committing as early to any Club Sites. 😉

Alas all the whinging & whining by a limited number of our unsatisfied membership that constantly begged, prayed for & yes even demanded the club set up a new booking system that includes the reintroduction of deposits for all future bookings. 

It seems to have backfired on their ideas that it would /should make for more abundant availability in those areas that they couldn't get before.

Having deposits won't solve any member's lack of not being able to book a certain site/pitch & time of the year, clearly that was the expectation thought by many, when the answer is so much simpler..... book early to avoid disappointment.

Being able to book pay a deposit & cancel /make date amendments with deposits refunded or reusable on future bookings, changes nothing.

The silver bullet of taking a deposit & making more availability is the new club myth. 

Is it a case of be careful what you wish for?

I agree with your post and especially the last two paragraphs. Also of course any booking(s) made before April (is it then?) for all of 2022 and up to April 2023 won't be subject to any deposits. 

It's always been book early and will continue to be so as long as club sites remain as popular as they are now.