CL Sites

Cholsey Grange:

I ticked the like box for the post from Cholsey Grange, but feel that such an effort to provide a reasoned and comprehensive response requires a proper thank you. Good luck with your CL.

I would guess that once they become established, have a good number of decent reviews under their belt and can demonstrate that they provide a better experience than other local competitors they may feel justified in raising their price. At the moment their price is probably artificially low, in order to build business.

I think that's a cop -out, and that sort statement is just the thing that will make certain CL owners increase their prices when they had not consider doing so before reading it. The way I'm reading it is that you are encouraging owners of popular CLs to raise their prices....is that to make your's seem less expensive when compared to them I wonder?

To be out of step, I need nothing but a tap and a sewage disposal point. A field suits me just fine. I bring my own power and enjoy the peace and quiet that that brings. Non EHU sites are just fine with me. 

The great beauty of the CL network is that there is something out there to cater for all requirements and price ranges. 

We are old style tourers, like the basic Sites, carry all we require onboard. We were spoilt having a month in Cornwall every year for under £300, including ehu. Probably a bit more now on same CL, but circumstances have prevented us doing our usual long SW break for a few years now. 

Obbermockle (& others) thank you for your support.  It's appreciated.

Nellie. I am not trying to get CL owners to raise their prices.  What I - and a number of other CL Owners in our support-group  -  are trying to do, is help CL owners run their CL's effectively, for the benefit of all members and thereby keep the CL network growing, rather than declining.

Unfortunately, the decline in the CL network continues, despite the best efforts of the Club this year to recruit more.  

In October 2016 there were 2,343 CL on the network.  Today there are 2,298, which means we’ve lost 45 CL’s in the past year.  

To assist the Club, and members like yourself that love visiting CL’s, we have set up a 'Self Help' group that now has over 400 CL owners as members.  Within the group, we are starting to share ideas and best practice so that we can all learn from each other.  For example, I am considering Hardstandings and I have run my ideas past 2 or 3 others in the group who have hardstandings for their very useful input on dimensions, costs etc.

We have also published a 16-page guide to marketing a CL for members of the group, we’re sharing information on cancellations, EHU usage, booking systems (which make it so much easier for members to book popular sites and reduce the chances of overbooking), photography, social media etc. etc.

Nellie, as you know, CL's close due to many reasons (such as change of ownership), but one of those reasons is that the owners doesn't believe their CL is economically viable.  I have often heard from CL owners  "My takings don't cover the cost of my mower fuel and I’m thinking of shutting down after X years”..

Therefore, one of the objectives of the group is to ensure that CL's remain economically viable.

When, for one reason or another, an owner decides that the income generated on the CL is not covering their costs and they decide to take down the signs and exit the network, it leaves you with fewer places to visit.  The knock-on effect is that the club has to spend a lot of ££ (your subscription money) to recruit, and then have certificated, another CL to take their place.  Bear in mind that only 25% of applications, resulting in an opened CL.  So, just to recover the network to where it was last year, the club will need to have around 200 applications in the pipeline today.

Therefore, to ‘stop the rot’ and help and guide those CL’s that feel they might be uneconomic, our encouraging Owners to look long and hard at what proportion of their overall costs (across their farm / smallholding etc.) are attributable to running the CL and doing a proper business analysis, so that they can consider their business plan and their pricing.

The good news for you is that a good number (possibly 1/3) of CL's are not looking to make a profit.  They simply run the CL as a hobby. But do you want a network of 700 'hobby' CL's or a network of 2,300?

If you want the latter, the 2/3 of CL's (like mine) that want to provide a great customer experience and at the same time not just cover our costs, but also make some return on our investment and cover our time (see earlier post), we need to remain economically viable.  We are not a charity.

If that means you won't be visiting Cholsey Grange, that's fine by me, but I was rather looking forward to continuing this discussion over a cup of tea or a pint.  

Next time you visit a ‘good value’ CL but think they might be on the brink of closure, please point them in our direction. We’ll see what we can do to help them.

CG, a fascinating insight into the workings of a fledgling idea(CL owners group) I hope you go from strength to strength, thanks for sharing. I personally have paid £20 p/night & have thought it worth every penny. I am location & facs driven not money driven. Thanks again

Add hardstanding to that and I am also happy. Toilets and showers are definitely not required but owners of campervans may well prefer these.

A thought, if it was known a CL owner had the capability to tow outfits off it might encourage me and others to use CLs more than I do. It is always a risky business visiting a CL even in the summer months unless hard standings are guaranteed. A symbol to indicate a towing off capablity was available would be very comforting.

peedee

Adapt or die - that's clear. And a lot of CLs aren't adapting.

 The elderly customers are dying off or going elsewhere in their shiny new motorhomes. The younger ones are taking their children to campsites with fire pits and hot tubs and tree houses. The active ones look for bike hire and drying rooms on site for boots and wet clothes.

But I don't see much future for the old style, unreformed CL. Adapt or die. 

Cholsley Grange - my criteria is Grass no facility £10.Grass,EHU and nothing else £12/13. H/s & EHU £15. Dont need WC. Showers etc.and I can get those on full sites at £15/20, any time of year. Just back from 5* commercial at £17-60 per night all in.

There is no doubt its the 5 rule that determines Cls to open or to remain.The figure is too restrictive to consider development these days. Just not financially viable. but the toe in the water test. The C& CC club has 15 UNITS and its units that planners look at. Its the people volume,and car volume that makes the decisions. and its no different if its caravans or tents. That's why nearly every application to increase from 5 to say 10/15 units are nodded through at Planning and Nat Park level. That's the main reason for the reductions in Cls, secondly trying to compete with fully functional commercial large sites. thereby pricing themselves out of the market.