A letter to clubs about site prices (1 Viewer)

[OutTheOffice]

This is an extract from the 2021 annual accounts , if I have read this right they have tangible assets ( I assume mainly freeholds) of £126m, a revenue account of £35m , and other reserves of £112m. They are a very wealthy club, I cannot see why they just seem to be accumulating assets at the expense of pitch fees

 

[CazPaul]

Wellingborough by any chance Paul? The area is notoriously known for Dids.

We too had an incident, but only the one, when we stopped off at a recognised MH stopover at Lochwinnoch Park in Renfrewshire. Like yourselves, it was young lads having a laugh by banging on the rear bedroom window.......................but it didn't half make the old heart miss a couple of beats. ..........................

Cheers,

Jock.

Yes Wellingborough Jock, it was total madness that, no regard for others whatsoever

 

[Simon Meadwell]

I'm in Spain just now and it's not until you've been here that you realise how much we are being overcharged in the UK. we've been on fantastic sites with ehu. Beachside locations and on one occasion a beachside pitch and all for around €20 a night.

Can you divulge where in Spain and whuch campsites we are heading to Spain nextweek and looking for similar sites.

 

[pelican]

Was looking for somewhere to go tomorrow from here at the Swaffham Shindig.
Seacroft C&MC at Cromer: tomorrow, one person, one night, (only fully serviced pitch available)........£42.80!
Two people......£60.20!!!! FOR ONE NIGHT!!!
View attachment 760950View attachment 760951

They would need to pay me to go there.

 

[emjaiuk]

French sites make CAMC look cheap, admittedly it's for 4 people

Riveco Glamping, Limoges, Haute-Vienne | Pitchup.com

View Riveco Glamping in Haute-Vienne, France. Family friendly, dogs allowed, toilet block and shower available. Best prices, easy booking, no fees with immediate confirmation.

www.pitchup.com

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

Off to Austria and Switzerland next week for near on 4 weeks, would be happy with £30-40 a night
But we know what to expect so won’t be moaning about it.
Have stayed on a fair few sites in this country but do not belong to the 2 clubs anymore as got fed up with having to book so far in advance.
When away we normally decide when we are having breakfast where we are going to next

 

[Sasbo]

This is an extract from the 2021 annual accounts , if I have read this right they have tangible assets ( I assume mainly freeholds) of £126m, a revenue account of £35m , and other reserves of £112m. They are a very wealthy club, I cannot see why they just seem to be accumulating assets at the expense of pitch fees

View attachment 761048

Or being cynical, are the relatively new directors setting up the business to be ripe for disposal.

Not an unusual scenario when you look at the assets and cash mountain and they certainly wouldn't be the first to do this and ride off into the sunset with bulging pockets, as they have a proven track record of not giving a jot for members.

 

[Langtoftlad]

So we can moan all we like about perceived outrageous prices but if their dynamic pricing is working and is maximising both revenue & capacity then I guess we won't see any price drops soon.

Just because you paid £15 ten years ago...

Being self contained, quite happy paying £15 pupn on this THS

 

[Coolcats]

Or being cynical, are the relatively new directors setting up the business to be ripe for disposal.

Not an unusual scenario when you look at the assets and cash mountain and they certainly wouldn't be the first to do this and ride off into the sunset with bulging pockets, as they have a proven track record of not giving a jot for members.

That’s no different to any business which are now owned by overseas investors if there is nothing in the clubs or any other business constitution it could be up for sale as MG Rolls Royce Jaguar. Water companies energy companies etc etc etc.

 

[Fragle]

French sites make CAMC look cheap, admittedly it's for 4 people

Riveco Glamping, Limoges, Haute-Vienne | Pitchup.com

View Riveco Glamping in Haute-Vienne, France. Family friendly, dogs allowed, toilet block and shower available. Best prices, easy booking, no fees with immediate confirmation.

www.pitchup.com

That's for a Glamping pod. Not exactly motorhome parking is it?

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[Red Sonja]

Why should single people pay the same as couples. They use the shower and toilet facilities less and probably use less water. I used to motor home alone and it is a lot more expensive as a single person than as a couple. If you want unit only prices there are lots of sites without facilities that operate on this basis.

On the CCC sites single people pay for one person and couples pay for two. Same as the CAMC. Much better value for the singles.

 

[Molly A]

French sites make CAMC look cheap, admittedly it's for 4 people

Riveco Glamping, Limoges, Haute-Vienne | Pitchup.com

View Riveco Glamping in Haute-Vienne, France. Family friendly, dogs allowed, toilet block and shower available. Best prices, easy booking, no fees with immediate confirmation.

www.pitchup.com

And hardly comparable, for the rental of a glamping pod and all the bits that go with it...most French sites are well better value than the uk, asevidenced by the feedback on this thread.

 

[VXman]

I let my membership lapse this year and haven't missed it. Had 4 days in Brighton for £5 and 2 weeks in Scotland for £28. The most of the rest of our travelling this year will be in Europe.

We are off here for the Bank Holiday weekend so can’t grumble at CMC prices .

Motor Home Park

Stay in one of our 23 pitches in the village

portmeirion.wales

I always predicted a financial reckoning would have to be paid for the pandemic and we have it in all its glory everywhere .

They were just finishing it off when we visited, rediculas price it's not much more than a car park and most of the pitches are on a steep slope.

Parking price includes entry to Port Merrion and use of the swimming pool so not really comparable with a normal campsite. 2 adults is £36 to get in so that brings a medium pitch down to £29 inc. electric, TV point, WiFi and usual campsite facilities. As they have just built this why they didn't put electric meters in and make EHU optional I don't know. It really has to be the way forward.

Bristol‘s Baltic Wharf has dramatically increased to the point we won’t pay, even though it’s where our son lives. Most baffling is that it’s closing down,

It's been closing down for years. The council's want to sell off the land for property development. I guess something has held that up. Can't blame the campsite owners for not wanting to develop the site under that situation. It's still competitive pricewise if the alternative is to stay in a Bristol City Centre Hotel.

 

[VXman]

To be honest , just why does anyone need to be in any club.

They are a well outdated thing going back to tents and caravans with no facilities, no need for any of that with motorhomes.

Totally agree with this. Once again we are miles behind Europe. All I want is a parking space with facilities for fresh water, and dumping black/grey. Motorhomes were designed for off grid. Leave the campsites for caravans and campervans.

 

[seasideBill]

Totally agree with this. Once again we are miles behind Europe. All I want is a parking space with facilities for fresh water, and dumping black/grey. Motorhomes were designed for off grid. Leave the campsites for caravans and campervans.

Well, that’s a view, but visit Baltic Wharf or others under threat like Crystal Palace at any time and you’ll find plenty that still love them. When CMC purchased land to provide an alternative to Baltic Wharf, many hoped that they’d develop something akin to a continental style city aire, but they don’t seem to have any such plans. Now all such potential developments seem stuck in the planning system.

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[Wingingit#1]

We wont book club sites if we have the option of a private site in the same area .

 

[SpeedyDux]

Well, that’s a view, but visit Baltic Wharf or others under threat like Crystal Palace at any time and you’ll find plenty that still love them. When CMC purchased land to provide an alternative to Baltic Wharf, many hoped that they’d develop something akin to a continental style city aire, but they don’t seem to have any such plans. Now all such potential developments seem stuck in the planning system.

Back in 2014, Baltic Wharf was going to be used for a new primary school. Such a brilliant idea - the site being right next to deep water. You might expect the Council numpties to have seen the obvious hazard ...

The planning system is biased towards fulfilling central government targets for new residential development. A new campsite in England faces an uphill battle unless the land is unsuitable for resi development.

Housing is the default development. Bye-bye Baltic Wharf Site, hello high density soulless little boxes.

 

[Coolcats]

Totally agree with this. Once again we are miles behind Europe. All I want is a parking space with facilities for fresh water, and dumping black/grey. Motorhomes were designed for off grid. Leave the campsites for caravans and campervans.

Isn’t that the same for all….dump point….black/grey waste and topping up with water. Some want EH some do not.

Caravans also have lithium

Some want a secure site

Some want escorted tour’s

Choice is everything

 

[VXman]

Left CMC a few years ago, still in C&CC on a little CL near Swaffham, no facilities except water and elsan lovely peaceful spot £14 pupn with electricity

That sounds reasonable. Make the electric optional and charge £10 it would be ideal!

However, I do have one burning question. Where do all the patriotic motorhomers pitch up if prices over here are so exorbitant (please do tell)

2 weeks in Scotland cost me £28 in parking and dumping waste/filling with water. I pitched at... - A beautiful cliff top carpark by a light house, on a beautiful beach, in a car park next to a Loch. The deers wandered near the vans in the evening, lovely clean toilets... And so on.

Also the 21 day refund cancellation policy is overkill. I agree with paying a deposit but I'm sure the demand is sufficient to resell that pitch in 7 - 10 days.

If demand is sufficient for that it means their prices are fine - in fact they could put them up!!!

 

[DerryW]

Exactly what I thought a few months back when we went to Swiss Farm, walked along to the garden centre and popped my head into the CAMC site, was very suprised how tatty it was and it didn’t look very inviting .
Swiss farm on the other hand was very good with a cracking cafe

We stopped at CMHC site in Henley earlier this year couldn’t agree more with your description, very tired and in need of some serious refurbishment. We do occasionally use CMHC sites when we need to be in a certain area and there are no CL’s close by. As regards to pricing it’s difficult trying to compare CMHC site to independents as the later tend to provide additional benefits i.e entertainment (if that’s your thing) cafes, shop etc, take the two sites at Henley as an example. In my opinion the CMHC should have a fixed pitch price regardless of location and time of year, say £25pn, this would include outfit, and 2 persons with the use of facilities. Electric charges on PAYG and £3 extra persons. Also offer the use of dump and top up facilities at £5 per occasion.

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[VXman]

Isn’t that the same for all….dump point….black/grey waste and topping up with water. Some want EH some do not.

Caravans also have lithium

Some want a secure site

Some want escorted tour’s

Choice is everything

Yes, but on the whole we do not have that choice in the UK. That's my point.

 

[Coolcats]

Yes, but on the whole we do not have that choice in the UK. That's my point.

Erm, there are some here that full time and do t use club sites or sites.

It is estimated there are 225,000 Motorhomes and over 1 million leisure caravans.

So what choice would you like?

There are club sites
CL sites
independents,
pubstops
Laybys

You can also park on my drive for a fee ( but you wouldn’t like the daily rate)

 

[Lenny HB]

Where do all the patriotic motorhomers pitch up if prices over here are so exorbitant (please do tell)

That sounds reasonable. Make the electric optional and charge £10 it would be ideal!

Last year we did a week in the UK don't normally bother with the UK. One night in a museum car park on an estuary (with permission), 2 pub stops and the rest nice forest car parks.

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

We've just had 4 nights in Henley on Thames. In the past we stayed on the C&MC site but this year we opted for the Swiss Farm commercial site which is literally next door. Swiss Farm was in our opinion an improvement on the C&MC site in that it had toilets which never closed for cleaning, a bar with food availability, swimming pool and was cheaper plus a a couple of hundred yards nearer to the town centre. It would have been cheaper at the C&MC site for a solo traveller though due to there being no single supplement on Swiss Farm.

 

[SpeedyDux]

You can also park on my drive for a fee ( but you wouldn’t like the daily rate)

How much, and does that daily rate include EHU, free meals, and security? Asking for a friend.

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[IRHP]

Can you divulge where in Spain and whuch campsites we are heading to Spain nextweek and looking for similar sites.

We've travelled from Santander via Pamplona and Alcaniź. To the Med Coast at Benicarlo. We used search for sites app and Acsi card for the best prices. We haven't booked anything, finding it pretty quiet everywhere. We haven't found anywhere we can't get in to. Just search the area you want to go to on the app, it shows Aires, campsites and free park ups. We are now in Portugal on an Aire at Tavira 10e a night, it's almost a campsite I really can't tell the difference. Large marked pitches water on the pitch, ehu, WiFi. Tables chairs awnings etc allowed. Last 3 stops were free. 2 in Rabida next to Huelva and last night at the beach at Punta Umbria near Huelva

 

[Coolcats]

How much, and does that daily rate include EHU, free meals, and security? Asking for a friend.

It’s a platinum pitch, the drive way is located just by the pond and has a small calm slow flowing river (no sewerage) just sparkling water suitable for Ducks, the pond has fresh duckweed in prime condition. For members of the duck family who may like the odd 75cl bottle of Bollinger this can be supplied at £75

Parking on the drive way is a steal at £150 per night it’s a concierge service, you pull up we plug your lead in, open the grey tap your grey waste will just empty in to the gully and water our plants. The Black waste you can dispose of in the black waste point. A personal Chef is available at extra cost along with a house keeper their daily charges are extra but worth every penny. Should you also wish a butler to prepare coffees etc they are also available at a reasonable charge.

When would you like to book for and once we agree a date I can send a payment link so you can pay upfront and none of us will have any worries, oh just one point none of the upfront costs are refundable.

 

[Nirvanauk]

Totally agree with this. Once again we are miles behind Europe. All I want is a parking space with facilities for fresh water, and dumping black/grey. Motorhomes were designed for off grid. Leave the campsites for caravans and campervans.

Thankfully we are all different of what we want.This is your opinion of what you want. Many members, myself included, want a decent pitch,with hook up and decent facilities.

 

[Mr porky]

We have 10 days free in early July and I'm seriously thinking of just hopping over to France as it would be cheaper, we normally do long vacations but I'm not sure I can face the way we have to plan our holiday in the uk like we own a caravan.

 

[Molly A]

We have 10 days free in early July and I'm seriously thinking of just hopping over to France as it would be cheaper, we normally do long vacations but I'm not sure I can face the way we have to plan our holiday in the uk like we own a caravan.

Book a ferry and just go....you will not regret it....

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