Camp

ECO REWARDS

Posted on October 28, 2021

ECO REWARDS

 

ACQUIRING THE SITE 20 YEARS AGO, 55,00 visitors a year are attracted to the Ullswater location.

 

First UK holiday park is awarded sustainability Queen’s Award…

A family-run Cumbrian resort has become the first holiday park to win a Queen’s Award for sustainability.
The Quiet Site in Watermillock is located near the shores of Ullswater where “green tourism” has been on the agenda for over 30 years.
The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development highlights Britain’s most environmentally responsible businesses.
Daniel Holder and his son George have been presented with a certifcate signed by The Queen and the Prime Minister, and a crystal glass vase. The Quiet Site is also now permitted to fly the Queen’s Award flag for the next five years.

 

HER MAJESTY’S LORD-LIEUTENANT OF CUMBRIA, Claire Hensmen presents the trophy to park owner Daniel Holder.

 

PROUD MOMENT

“This is an immensely proud moment for us, and a fantastic spur to our efforts to allow people to enjoy this beautiful region without creating a negative impact,” said Daniel.
“Cumbria’s economy relies heavily on tourism to support businesses and provide jobs, and we believe this needn’t be inconsistent with protecting the natural world.
“For example, we have invested heavily in sustainable technologies over the years, including solar panels and biomass heating, as well as banning single-use plastics.
“We also operate a very popular “zero waste” food shop specialising in Cumbrian produce free from unnecessary packaging, and with the fewest possible food miles under its belt.
“The Quiet Site’s holiday homes, including our underground Hobbit Holes, are highly insulated, extremely energy effcient, and built from sustainable materials.
“At the same time they provide an exciting and memorable alternative to traditional holiday accommodation, and are especially loved by young families.
“Hopefully we are also sending out the message that, by making even minor adjustments to our lives, it’s possible to make a real difference to our environmental impact,” said Daniel.
Since acquiring the park 20 years ago as a simple camping field, Daniel and his wife Anne have created one of the Lake District’s most celebrated parks.
The Quiet Site is attracting 55,000 visitors annually. As well as its 15 Hobbit Holes stays, the park offers 15 camping pods, 15 glamping cabins, holiday cottages and 60 pitches for motorhomes and tents.
Innovative accommodation, marketed as Gingerbread Houses, are new to The Quiet Site for 2021. The 15 units produce more energy than they use so have a positive effect on their environment.

THE QUIET SITE boasts a new zero waste shop.

 

POSITIVE IMPACT

“Holidays should not cost the earth,” emphasises Daniel. “Our hugely popular Hobbit Holes were the starting point in our thinking.
“Gingerbread Houses boast all that works well in a Hobbit Hole being simple, warm and comfortable, with a large, covered deck and private facilities.
“To this we have added a full-size shower, a simple kitchen and the ability to generate its own power. Heating is provided by a remote ground source heat pump and electricity is generated from their solar PV panel roofs,” explains Daniel.

15 GINGERBREAD houses on the site generate more energy than they use.

“The simplicity of this accommodation and lack of soft furnishings lends itself to an ease of cleaning and fogging that makes it incredibly safe,” he continues.
“They will be wrapped in a lovely beach hedge so will become virtually invisible – unless you know where to look! These hedges will become vital to helping our site become more biodiverse.”
Last year, The Quiet Site scooped another major national green accolade when it took a silver in the finals of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence in the sustainable tourism category.

The Quiet Site
Tel. 01768486337
www.thequietsite.co.uk

IDEAL LOCATION AT WELSH PARK

Posted on October 28, 2021

IDEAL LOCATION AT WELSH PARK

 

TV’S PHIL SPENCER joins John Brookshaw and his wife Sarah in the scenic grounds of Plassey Holiday Park

 

When property guru Phil Spencer wanted to showcase the beauty of North Wales for a recent episode of Location, Location, Location, it was a Wrexham holiday park which ticked all the boxes.
Plassey Holiday Park, Phil’s Channel 4 producers decided, would make the perfect backdrop to a key segment in the show when Phil discusses the options with his house-hunting couple.
That’s why the family-owned park, a winner of multiple quality awards, found itself playing a star role on television’s most popular property programme this autumn.
“We were delighted to welcome the TV crew to our park when the filming was carried out in spring,” said John Brookshaw who owns Plassey with his wife Sarah.
“The park has amazing views across the Dee Valley, and gave Phil and his couple the chance to chat whilst taking in some of the loveliest scenery in North Wales.
“The filming certainly turned a few heads among guests on the park when it took place, but we had promised not to disclose any details until after the broadcast.
“When it did go out in October, we received a flurry of enquiries after the show from people who had been captivated by the views they had glimpsed,” he added.

PALANTINE EXITS VERDANT LEISURE

Posted on October 28, 2021

PALANTINE EXITS VERDANT LEISURE

 

SINCE INVESTING in the business five years ago, Palatine has supported Verdant Leisure to acquire six additional sites.

 

PALATINE Private Equity has exchanged contracts for the sale of its stake in Verdant Leisure, the award-winning holiday park operator, to the management team backed by Pears Partnership Capital. The deal is subject to FCA approval.
Verdant Leisure is a bespoke holiday park operator offering lodge and caravan holidays and holiday home ownership at stunning sites across Scotland and Northern England.
The sale will see Palatine exit the business with a returns multiple of 3.7x, following a highly successful strategy of acquisitions and value creation which has grown Verdant’s annual turnover by 150% since 2016. Since investing in the business in April 2016, Palatine has supported Verdant to acquire six additional sites, increasing its footprint to 10 locations and 3,500 pitches, making it a leading operator in the UK.
Management’s value creation focus has increased both holiday home sales and the proftability of Verdant’s holiday let operations by enhancing on-site leisure facilities and investing in central management functions including a new head office and customer service contact centre.

POP-UP SITES SHOULD CARRY WARNING

Posted on October 28, 2021

POP-UP SITES SHOULD CARRY WARNING

MICHAEL PAUL believes pop-ups should warn about their unregulated status.

Families should be warned of the risks if they are planning to stay on an unlicensed camping site, says major holiday parks booking agency Caravan Sitefnder.
Pop-up sites, the company believes, should make it clear that they do not hold a licence from their local authority, and are not subject to the same controls as permanent parks.
Without such a warning people may be in for a bitter disappointment when they find that quality standards fall far below their expectations.
“Allowing farmers to operate a campsite without planning permission for up to 56 days a year during the pandemic was a well- intentioned move,” said the firm’s Michael Paul.
“But the reality has been a raft of complaints from local communities and others about the safety, noise and pollution which these unregulated sites are generating.
“Some guests have also been shocked on arrival to find that aspects such as hygiene standards, proper supervision and distancing between pitches fall far below their expectations.
“There have been widely reported instances of inadequate toilet facilities, excessive noise and bad behaviour by other guests, and no efforts made to keep the site safe and clean.
“Permanent parks, by contrast, are subject to a raft of checks and balances by their site licences which ensure that everyone’s best interests are being served,” said Michael.

£200K SUPER PITCHES INVESTMENT

Posted on October 28, 2021

£200K SUPER PITCHES INVESTMENT

 

Cofton Holidays has invested £200,000 in 48 new super pitches to cope with record demand for staycations from caravaners and owners of recreational vehicles (RVs).
Named as the UK’s Best Caravan/ Campsite at the prestigious iTravel Staycation Awards 2020/21, the family-run holiday park, situated close to Dawlish Warren’s Blue Flag Beach, has increased the number of super pitches for RVs and caravans from 26 to 74 pitches, almost tripling its offering.
The holiday park experienced a dramatic surge in bookings from guests with caravans and RVs over the peak summer season. Bookings were up 20% on 2019, hitting a record high for occupancy levels. The lift in demand followed news that the number of people buying caravans in the UK has increased by around a fifth, according to caravan trader Robinsons Caravans*.
Solidifying its reputation as an all-weather all-year-round holiday destination, Cofton’s new super pitches feature brick paver and gravel bases which protect each pitch from the rain. To ensure that camping enthusiasts experience a stress-free staycation too, Cofton is also offering electricity access to those with tents during the peak summer season.
The new hard-standing super pitches include water and waste connections and 16-amp electric hook-ups.
Located towards the top of the park as well as close to the popular fishing lakes, users have access to covered washing up areas, a grass area behind the hard-standing pitches, an on-site laundrette, newly refurbished heated toilet and shower blocks, TV aerial points and Wi-Fi at an extra charge. Nearby, the camp shop stocks everything campers might need, ranging from freshly baked croissants to tent pegs.

CLUB EXTENDS CAMPING SEASON

Posted on October 28, 2021

CLUB EXTENDS CAMPING SEASON

 

CAMPERS will be able to extend their touring dates this autumn and winter

 

Responding to demand, the Camping and Caravanning Club will be opening a number of campsites for longer this winter including those that will enable campers to pitch-up any time of year.
In total, 30 Club sites will be open beyond the traditional camping season, meaning people can still enjoy a much-needed break well into the autumn and winter, and over the Christmas period.
The Club’s Simon McGrath said: “Autumn and winter can be a fantastic time to enjoy your caravan, motorhome or even tent and we believe many people will be keen to continue to enjoy the fresh air on a camping break, even as the nights draw in.
“Given the huge popularity of pitching up on a campsite, we wanted to offer campers more choice of locations later in the year by extending the season of a number of our sites.”
The Club has 13 sites with extended opening:
• Barnard Castle, County Durham; Cannock Chase, Horsley, Surrey; Kendal, Lake District all plan to stay open until November 30th.
• Bellingham, Northumberland; Cheddar, Somerset; Polstead, Sufolk; Sandringham, Norfolk; Scone, Perthshire; Winchcombe, Gloucestershire; Windermere, Lake District; Wolverley, Worcestershire all plan to stay open until January.
A further 17 Club sites remain open year-round along with five Camping in the Forest sites.

EARLY WARNINGS OF HOLIDAY FAMINE

Posted on October 28, 2021

EARLY WARNINGS OF HOLIDAY FAMINE

 

A 2022 BOOKINGS SURGE means the likelihood of less choice next spring and summer

 

Park Holidays UK, one of Britain’s largest holiday park groups, says that almost 50% of its bookings are now for 2022 holidays – an unprecedented figure for this time of year.
They say the surge, which usually begins in December, could mean families struggling to get the holidays they want next year if they don’t stake an early claim.
Now, in a move to try and ensure customers get their preferred dates and locations, the group is offering to take 15% of 2022 holiday prices if they are booked and paid for now.
“This summer sadly saw a large number of people failing to secure their dream holiday because of heightened demand,” said Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish.
“They are clearly keen not to miss out again next year, and many others have been reading reports that the UK tourism industry will soon be hanging out “no vacancies” signs for 2022. “With forty-plus parks, we have the capacity to provide tens of thousands of holidays, but even so we are now looking at some centres nearing capacity next summer.
“That’s why we have decided to respond this autumn by encouraging early booking with a substantial discount available until the end of this month.
“It means families can enjoy peace of mind that their 2022 holiday is secure and that they won’t have to compromise on options such as where and when they go, or the type of accommodation”