park homes

PEDAL POWER FOR PARKS

Posted on August 3, 2023

PEDAL POWER FOR PARKS

WITH A 60-MILE RANGE, Oyster Bay’s e-bikes mean that riders are unlikely to need topping up on their trips

Stonham Barns Park has hosted its inaugural Suffolk CycleFest for bicycle lovers, enthusiasts and racers from across the region. Over 100 participants joined in 30, 60 and 100-mile Sportives, supported and run by Stowmarket and District Cycle Club. The event featured the Extreme Bike Battle Stunt Team, a Kids Balance Bike trail, bike specialists Maglio Rosso, Salice UK, Ipswich Cycle Speedway, Suffolk Police and Combat2Coffee.

Up-and-coming British Cycling star Abbey Thompson, who is sponsored by the leisure, retail and holiday venue Stonham Barns Park attended the special one-day event. Says Events Manager Joanna Daines: “We are delighted that this debut event has been such a huge success for cycle clubs and cyclists everywhere.

“As cycling has grown so much as a participation sport in recent years, we are looking forward to rolling out Suffolk CycleFest again next year for cyclists from the region.” Meanwhile, holiday home-owners at Oyster Bay Coastal & Country Retreat in North Cornwall are now enjoying another benefit of staying at one of the West Country’s most stunning leisure resorts.

The top-rated holiday destination is offering them free use of a Volt Pulse e-bike when they stay to explore the scenic trails around the village of Goonhavern where Oyster Bay is based. It means that couples and families can enjoy fun-filled coastal and country jaunts with the minimum of effort whilst covering the maximum miles from their luxury accommodation.

STONHAM BARNS PARK recently staged its inaugural CycleFest.

 

As a bonus for the park, staff also have use of the Pulse e-bikes to travel around Oyster Bay’s extensive grounds with zero noise and zero atmospheric pollution. Oyster Bay sales manager Ash Reeves says the e-bikes have been given a warm welcome by owners, all of whom are able to use their holiday homes throughout the year: “The e-bikes are a fantastic way to get the most out of a visit to Oyster Bay, whether it’s for a short break or a longer holiday,” he says.

“The on-site Pulses mean that owners don’t have to lug their own bikes down on every occasion, and they are extremely comfortable to use whether on or off road. “They look very stylish too, and the sixty-mile range means there’s plenty of juice to get families wherever they want to go without having to pause for re-charging.

“Oyster Bay is a premium location for holiday home ownership, so we are always looking for ways to add extra value to the customer’s experience here. “Volt has helped us to deliver on this in a marvellous and memorable way – and the e-bikes have also won a massive vote of support from our always-on-the-move team members!” said Ash.

Oyster Bay is one of the flagship locations of the Park Leisure brand, and is among the fifty-plus parks operated by Park Holidays UK in England, Wales and Scotland.

A DECADE OF DESTINATIONS

Posted on May 11, 2023

A DECADE OF DESTINATIONS

Celebrating Holiday Park SCENE's tenth anniversary...

Flip the rewind switch on the time machine to 2013 and we find British Prime Minister David Cameron publishing a draft European Union Bill aimed at holding a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union by 2017. It was the year that former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher died, following a stroke, while Catherine, now Princess of Wales, gave birth to George Alexander Louis at St Mary’s Hospital, London.

On the sports scene, Andy Murray became the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936; defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia in straight sets. Rising temperatures led to health warnings being issued, for Southern England and the Midlands, in the UK’s first prolonged heatwave since 2006. The weather continued to be challenging as, at the end of October, what became known as the St Judes’ Day storm, brought with it gusts of 99 mph at The Needles on the Isle of Wight.

2013 also saw the launch issue of Holiday Park SCENE, a new print and on-line magazine, packed with fresh ideas and a must-read for anyone who runs or works in a holiday park sector. The Holiday Park SCENE team set out its ambition to work as an extension of destination management teams. These core aims have stayed entrenched in the magazine’s mission statement to inform and inspire UK holiday destinations, boosting visitor experiences and reaping rich returns on investments.

For more than a decade now, Holiday Park SCENE has offered the inside track on the latest market news and reports covering all aspects of holiday park management. We have brought you behind the scenes news on destination businesses that are performing well as generously, they shared their experiences. But most importantly, we have talked to the people who matter – people who add the experience, energy and enthusiasm to keep raising standards across all areas of the UK and Eire holiday park sector.

With the help of our knowledgeable writing team over ten years, we have covered subjects as varied as holiday lodges, glamping, hot tubs, catering and entertainment. The Holiday Park SCENE team has looked at some of the latest options from camping to glamping and investigated the potential for health and wellness as an added value income for business, not just in the summer but all year through.

Over the course of its first decade, Holiday Park SCENE has held hands with some of the biggest names in UK holidays from Butlin’s to Parkdean and from Park Holidays to Hoseasons. Throughout ten busy years, that have simply flown by, the magazine has featured more than 250 destinations and well over 1,000 businesses within the magazine. Holiday Park SCENE has been granted a ten-year long front row seat as the boost in staycations and investment in family time saw the holiday sector enjoy a sustained boom period.

A fountain of inspiration, Holiday Park SCENE supported the networking opportunities at some of the industry’s leading trade shows and event to find out what they can offer businesses in the way of fresh ideas as well as new products and services. Holiday Park SCENE has frequently relied upon some of the UK’s leading parks to share their tips for an effective entertainment programme that will keep guests coming back for more through play and on-site attractions.

We have discussed the e-marketing revolution with the rise and rise of social media which we warned you would ignore at your peril. The New Year is often the traditional time to re-evaluate our business goals. An opportunity to take stock of the previous 12 months and resolve to make a difference for the year ahead. We examined the Winning Ways of maximising the potential of amusement and arcade game attractions.

The holiday park industry has always been ahead of the field when it comes to preserving the business development balance with Mother Nature. David Bellamy was a holiday park ambassador when it came to highlighting the eco-factor, building in green spaces and protecting nature. Holiday Park SCENE has reflected this with frequent looks at everything from eco-friendly accommodation and energy-efficient business choices like heat pumps and electric vehicles.

The first rule of marketing is that it is not good enough to be good. You have to be perceived to be good. So Holiday Park SCENE urged you to pick up your bucket and spade with a heap of tips and ideas that will enable your business to stand out from the crowd. We looked at the increasing use of automated control systems to dramatically reduce the risk of human error in the management of holiday park swimming pools. Holiday Park SCENE has regularly tackled the thorny issue of security with features like Lock Down.

We frequently carried advice on how holiday park destinations can maximise the potential of their water leisure offering, with the addition of splash pads, flumes and water play equipment. We urged you to put up the ‘do not disturb sign’ as we invited you to relish this packed edition with a wealth of inspiring initiatives and ideas to weave into your future business planning.

Probably our most popular and ‘stand-out’ cover of the first ten years, the September 2019 front cover featured one of the life-size wooden horse sculptures now on permanent display at two holiday destinations. More soaring temperatures had accommodation booked to full capacity and then some rain which had the happy visitors spending more on site activities, arcades and in the bars and restaurants. We regularly urged decision-makers to take time away and weigh-up the highs and lows for the season.

What worked well? What could have worked better and what short and long term improvements can be introduced. As well as our regular tips from fellow operators, we brought you timely features like Fashion Statements with the case for quality investment that some argue is crucial for the holiday park sector. We shared the catering thoughts of three holiday park businesses with their Recipe For Success. We also took a look at minimising hassle and maximising sales with our look at on-line management systems in, Click Here.

Like the rest of the sector, Holiday Park SCENE was eagerly anticipating the peak summer season ahead. There had been a general feeling of optimism and positivity in the air with early bird bookings up considerably, even on 2019’s high-flying figures. Then the small matter of COVID 19 hit. Not just the holiday sector but the entire plant. Official figures confirm the travel and tourism industries contributed 6.7% of all gross value added in the UK in 2018.

Since then, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic impacted the sector heavily in 2020 and into 2021, with government restrictions both in the UK and worldwide preventing tourism for large periods of time. Within the UK, unnecessary travel was first discouraged on 16 March, before a nationwide lockdown was announced on 23 March. Travel was again impacted by the second and third English lockdowns in November 2020 and January 2021 and travel corridors were suspended on 18 January 2021.

Heavily into a stop-start-stop-go scenario, government measures helped in the retention of key staff with some timely business funding initiatives. Restrictions-permitted, the industry’s quick-thinkers took an opportunity to rethink and reinvest in facilities, while the customers were forced to stay away. Holiday Park SCENE reported on the top holiday accommodation trends and revealed the UK’s most popular holiday park destinations while raising the emerging issue of on-site e-charging.

Bonkers busy we knew, but we encouraged managers to locate a quiet cupboard or handy hidey-hole, to escape to, as they soaked up the packed ideas and inspiration throughout the latest edition of Holiday Park SCENE. With the pandemic truly behind us, we challenged business development planners to create an action list with at least five short and long term goals that will help you future-proof business.

The Holiday Park SCENE team pulled out all the stops to keep you abreast of industry trends; sharing good practice with a lodge-full of ideas on maximising the boom in the UK holiday sector. With nearly half of all businesses reporting cyber-crime security issues as well as crucial advice, you could not afford to miss in Lock It Or Lose Out. As we set out on the second decade of reporting on the vibrant UK holiday industry, we feel proud and privileged to work alongside some exceptional businesses and some outstanding people.

We will continue to recommend a pack of sticker notes to mark those pages that you would like to share with the team and to contact some of the advertisers that make Holiday Park SCENE possible. Three cheers to the first ten years as we toast the second decade yet to come!

HAND TO HAND SUPPORT

Posted on February 15, 2023

HAND TO HAND SUPPORT

Leisure Days is the trading name of Caravan Guard, that helps holiday park owners by taking care of the insurance administration of customers’ holiday accommodation. Parks work with Leisure Days as Introducer Appointed Representatives. They effectively introduce the customer to Leisure Days a quote, then Leisure Days sets up and administrates insurance policies.

Common claims dealt with in the 2022 holiday season have been both internal and external accidental damage, escape of water and storm damage. The team has dealt with claims where trees have fallen onto static caravans, winds have caused roof damage as well as leaks from showers.

Leisure Days is able to service customers via an award-winning Adviser team, that are available seven days a week, or via their website, to make sure they remained covered. Parks are able to keep a track of customer insurance and are kept fully informed with which customers have taken cover via the Leisure days Live system.

Specialist insurance policies takes care of specific risks faced by residential or holiday park residents, such as accidental damage, fire, theft, storm and flood. Specialist insurance will also cover fixed items to outbuildings around a park or holiday home, so sheds, storage boxes, decking, or in the case of park homes, patios and garages as part a home’s structure.

Leisure Days
E. park-operator@leisuredays.co.uk
Tel. 01422 396 693

RELIABLE BROADBAND TOP PRIORITY

Posted on January 15, 2023

RELIABLE BROADBAND TOP PRIORITY

THE DESIRE TO WORK from a holiday home is helping to power the demand for holiday home ownership, according to My Holiday Caravan.

Access to reliable broadband is now the top consideration for holidaymakers when looking for a caravan or holiday park to stay in, according to new figures. Market research recently undertaken by rural broadband specialists Voneus Broadband found 59% of visitors look for sites with suitable internet as a top priority when selecting a caravan or holiday park for trips away.

The survey of 3,000 holiday-goers, who have visited a caravan or holiday park in the UK within the last five years, named reliable broadband as more of a priority than site location (57%) and cost (49%). Additionally, 42% of those surveyed have opted for a certain site over another when booking a holiday purely because of the availability and access to the internet. Despite being on holiday, the data from trip-makers reveals working remotely, streaming TV and films, and gaming, are some of the main reasons people look to jump on the Wi-fi.

INTERNET SPEEDS
As a result, access to connections with strong download and upload speeds has become more important, with 91% of those surveyed considering broadband connections when looking for places to stay more than they did 15 years ago. However, it is not just adults who are considering their connections when planning a place to stay, with 43% of parents stating they have had requests from their children to stay at a park with a reliable broadband connection.

For caravan and holiday park owners, the demand for sufficient internet access on holidays could also translate to a boost in income, with 83% of guests stating they would pay additional costs to stay in a site with a strong connection. Figures revealed 61% of people would pay up to £10 per night on top for access. Francesca Lee, chief commercial officer at Voneus, which delivers full fibre and wireless broadband to rural and hard-to-reach communities across more than 25 counties in the UK, said: “This market research paints a fascinating picture into the mindset of the modern caravan and holiday park guest and where current priorities lie.

“By not having sufficient broadband capabilities in place, park operators could be significantly missing out on bringing visitors through the gates during the busiest parts of the year by failing to invest properly in this vital utility.” Paul Craven of My Holiday Caravan, says that WFHH – or “work from holiday home” - is helping to power the demand for holiday home ownership. “Many people are now realising the benefits of buying a bolt-hole which can be used both for leisure and as a substitute for the kitchen table or bedroom when working,” he said.

“Different surroundings can fire new inspiration, not least if you’ve chosen a loved location in the countryside or by the sea that your holiday home overlooks. “But rural life can also mean rural broadband, and with it the frustrations of a far slower internet speed than you might be used to at home. “If you choose your holiday park carefully, however, there are some with superb broadband coverage which will mean you can surf and stream in the fast-lane all day long.

“In particular we recommend to buyers the forty-plus parks operated by Park Holidays UK which has invested literally millions of pounds in new fibre technology. “This is in contrast to the many parks which transmit WiFi across their sites, and which is rarely successful as holiday homes generally resist the penetration of the signals. But Park Holidays UK connects each holiday home directly to fibre broadband, meaning owners can work or relax on-line without the irritation of constant buffering,” said Paul.

PARK HOLIDAYS UK FLEX MUSCLE

Posted on August 2, 2022

PARK HOLIDAYS UK FLEX MUSCLE

PARK HOLIDAYS UK takes its portfolio to 54 locations with the acquisition of Park Leisure.

 

Park Holidays UK has confirmed its acquisition of holiday parks group Park Leisure which owns 11 holiday parks in popular locations in England, Scotland and North Wales. It will bring to 54 the number of parks now operated by Park Holidays UK – and follows the company’s acquisition of nine parks from Bridge Leisure in 2021. The enlarged portfolio, says the group, will provide it with an even stronger national platform from which to serve Britain’s fast-growing domestic holiday market.

Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish said the coming together of the two well-established groups presented exciting new opportunities in one of tourism’s most dynamic sectors: “Both companies have invested substantially in their parks over recent years and created a range of high-quality holiday products which people clearly enjoy,” he said. “Park Leisure’s 11 parks have all gained top five-star tourist board awards and represent the high-quality standards we have been working towards in recent years.

 

“Whether customers are looking to rent or buy a holiday home, we can now offer a wide geographical spread of parks able to deliver a first-class experience at an affordable cost. “We will continue to invest in all of our parks to ensure that that their facilities and standards of service are maintained to the highest possible levels,” said Mr Clish. “The domestic holiday market continues to gain traction in the post-Brexit and post-pandemic market, and we are continuing to see an ever-increasing demand for UK holidays.

“Quality is the main driver of bookings and holiday home sales, and this union will consolidate some of the finest holiday parks in the UK into one single group,” said Mr Clish. Parks in both groups provide extensive leisure facilities and family entertainment, together with carefully managed landscaped grounds in which holiday lodges and caravans are located. Park Holidays UK was formed over 35 years ago, and its parks today span the length of Britain from Cornwall in the west to Moray in northern Scotland. Park Leisure has operated holidays parks for more than 20 years, and has a presence in Cornwall, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Northumberland, Yorkshire and North Wales.

AWARD-WINNERS

Posted on August 2, 2022

AWARD-WINNERS

We visit Southwaite Green Mill in the Lake District...

EACH OF THE 60 PARK HOMES in-situ has its own private drive and garden

 

The Lake District’s award-winning residential park Southwaite Green Mill Country Park has an interesting backstory. Originally a Corn Mill which ceased production in the 1950s, Southwaite Green Mill was then owned by the Bardgett Family who ran a caravan site in its picturesque grounds on the outskirts of the market town of Penrith. Another local family, the Heaths, who were well-known in the caravan trade having run Lakeland Caravans for several generations, purchased Southwaite Green Mill in 1973. Jill Heath takes up the story: “My husband’s father John used to site and sell caravans in the local area and the Bardgett family was one of his clients,” explains Jill.

 

“After taking ownership of the park, our family continued to operate the site as a caravan holiday park, alongside developing a fish farming business that continued until the early 1990s.” In 1994, the Heaths purchased a plot of land from Lowther Estates that lies behind the original park and decided to develop Southwaite Green Mill as a residential park. “We had noticed that residential parks were starting to become more popular in the southern parts of the UK,” says Jill. “But there didn’t seem to be many developments in the north, so we set upon making our own.” At first, the Heaths thought that their new residential park would attract potential residents from elsewhere in the country who wished to retire in the beautiful surroundings of the Lake District.

 

THE HEATH FAMILY work closely with their preferred supplier Stately. Pictured in the foreground, a Stately Carolina Lodge.

 

Southwaite Green Mill is superbly located alongside the scenic River Eamont, just a few minutes’ drive from England’s second largest lake, Ullswater. Instead, Jill explains, they were inundated with enquiries from local residents. “We were really surprised by the amount of local interest. Our aim was to create a nice, village-type environment for the over 50s with private homes and gardens that didn’t require too much upkeep. “We expected people who had perhaps visited the area on holiday to enquire but in the end, many of our residents are people who have lived in the Lakes for a number of years. It makes for a lovely atmosphere here, a real home from home.”

Southwaite Green Mill currently has 60 park homes in-situ. Each of the homes has its own private drive and garden. Most of the plots also have space for a garage subject to local planning. All of the homes have underground piped LPG, metered electric, and mains water services. Great emphasis has been placed on ensuring the residents’ security and peace of mind. The park has electronic entry gates, and its careful landscaping has, in part, led to the park being honoured with the David Bellamy Gold Conservation Award. Such is the success of the park that Jill and John Heath and their family are currently working on the second phase of Southwaite Green Mill, which will comprise an additional 40 homes when completed.

 

FLOWERS IN BLOOM at Southwaite Green Mill.

 

The new ‘Watersedge’ development will be phased in gradually over the next few years. The first row of plots, which offers the added attraction of lovely river views, is the first area under development. “The market is pretty buoyant at the moment and there’s been a lot of interest in the new homes,” says Jill. “Recently we had a unit sold on the park within just two weeks!” Timescales for completion are dependent not only on sales but on manufacturers’ ability to fulfil orders for residential homes.

 

 

Jill says that their close working relationship with preferred supplier Stately has ensured that Southwaite Green Mill is ahead of the game. “The industry has seen order dates being pushed back due to the pandemic,” explains Jill, “but we thought ahead and booked manufacturing slots in advance with Stately which has enabled us to be more responsive to customer orders. We work with a number of different manufacturers according to each home-owners wishes but we have always found Stately in particular to offer great quality building and furniture, as well as excellent after sales.”

 

GREAT EMPHASIS has been placed on ensuring the residents’ security and peace of mind.

 

Jill and John Heath have two sons and two daughters who are all involved in the running of Southwaite Green Mill, as well as its sister park, Hillcroft, in nearby Pooley Bridge. The family acquired Hillcroft Park in 2012 and have developed it into a multi award-winning holiday park, covering over 50 acres of land and including 200+ privately owned luxury lodges and holiday homes, as well as traditional camping pitches, pods, glamping, and two fully-equipped, self-catering cottages and a large house in the heart of the lakeside village.

 

THE NEW WATERSEDGE development will comprise an additional 40 homes and is situated next to the picturesque River Eamont.

 

There’s no doubt that Southwaite Green Mill and Hillcroft Park owe much of their success to having such a superb location in the heart of the Lakes, but personal service has a lot to say for their continued popularity. The fact that Southwaite Green Mill is a family owned and family run park is an added attraction to potential home owners and an asset to residents. Jill and John lived in the old Mill House on site for more than 20 years and like nothing more than stopping by to have a chat with their old neighbours. Such is their commitment to residents that Jill can even be found chipping in and driving their weekly private minibus service into Penrith on Mondays!

 

A WORLD OF HOLIDAY PARK IDEAS

Posted on August 2, 2022

A WORLD OF HOLIDAY PARK IDEAS

THE ELITE DYNAMICS team were focused on holiday park business at the recent WOPLH show.

 

Holiday Park Scene magazine was delighted to be involved with this year’s World of Park & Leisure Homes Show, that took place at Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry, earlier this summer. After a two-year break, due to COVID, holiday park suppliers enthusiastically raised awareness on a range of essential products and services.

They included several options for hot tubs in holiday settings, the chance to speak to the Compass Insurance team and the opportunity to catch up with the latest technology available through Elite Dynamics. An impressive display of about 40 leisure lodges, log cabins and park homes, from some of the leading UK manufacturers, gave visitors plenty of scope to explore an insight into the latest trends on the market.

 

PATHFINDER HOMES was among multiple holiday accommodation exhibitors at the show

 

Offering free parking and free entrance, the WOPLH show will return to Stoneleigh in 2023 – so save the dates of June 8 – for the Trade Preview Day and June 9 – 11th when the show will be open to the public.

World Of Park & Leisure Homes Show
Tel. 01789 491451
www.parkhomeandleisure.co.uk

MILITARY SALUTE UNITING FAMILIES

Posted on August 2, 2022

MILITARY SALUTE UNITING FAMILIES

Park Holidays UK is providing no-cost holiday accommodation to 100 military families every year, helping them to re-adjust to a life together after deployment. The group operates over 40 holiday parks across Britain and has teamed up with the Give Us Time charity to ensure that its holidays are enjoyed by the most deserving. Founded in 2012, by former Army medic Liam Fox MP, the organisation matches donated holiday accommodation with military families in need of rest and rehabilitation.

Coming in for special praise is the quality of the accommodation and facilities on offer, and the friendliness of park staff which plays a big in creating a relaxing atmosphere. “We feel very privileged to be able to play a small part in helping Britain’s dedicated military personnel to re-discover their family bonds,” said Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish. “Making a difference by supporting charities and good causes has long been part of our business culture and goes back over 35 years to when the company was started. “As well as national bodies such as Give Us Time, individual parks also often fundraise for local organisations with park management and staff taking the lead,” said Tony.

IDYLLIC RETIREMENT

Posted on February 16, 2022

IDYLLIC RETIREMENT

Priory Court is a private and separate gated park home village…

 

THE GROUNDS of Priory Park are beautifully landscaped and include a lake.

It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic location in which to relax into retirement than Priory Park - a mixed residential and holiday park - in coastal Suffolk.
Visitors and residents enter the park through automated security gates before venturing into 115 acres of private, south facing parkland, surrounded by rolling pastures and ancient woodland that flows gently down to the water’s edge.
The beautifully landscaped grounds feature immaculate lawns, lily ponds, wildflower meadow, woodland walks and panoramic river views across the River Orwell, a tidal estuary that leads out to the charming seaside town of Felixstowe. The Priory Park estate has been owned and run by the Little family for over 40 years.
“My Father, Peter, purchased Priory Park from Ada Buckingham in June 1981,” explains Priory Park Owner James Little. “Known as Alnesbourne Priory at that time, it enjoyed a mixed reputation and after years of neglect was a far shadow of what you can see today.
Over the past forty years, our family has poured three generations’ efforts into transforming potential into reality and creating the fabulous haven Priory Park is today.”
James and his wife, Lisa, have lived at Priory Park since 1986, first in a Pinelog Virginia and for the past 20 years in the house they built in the grounds. Priory Park has also been home to their two children, Jake and Sophie, who have both worked at the Priory during school holidays in their younger lives.
With Sophie now of to university and Jake continuing to take on more responsibility in the family business that he has worked in for the past five years, the future of Priory Park looks secure for future generations of the Little family.

TIP-TOP STYLE
Ensuring Priory Park is kept in tip-top condition is very much a team effort. James explains that the family is assisted by a team of 15-20 staff depending on the time of year:
“As you can imagine, keeping a 115-acre estate - the buildings, roads, infrastructure, flora and fauna - looking at their best involves a lot of effort from our teams. Thankfully we have great staff, most of whom have been with us for many years, who are all proud to be part of Priory Park.”
Within Priory Park, Priory Court is a private and separate gated park home village for residential use. Catering for the fifty plus age group, with no resident children, Priory Court comprises 100 bespoke bungalow-style homes. South facing and terraced with attractive brick walling, each home has its own private drive and generous landscaped plot.
Priory Court offers the best of both worlds for residents. They enjoy the security of their own private community whilst being part of a larger whole and benefiting from the grounds and facilities of the rest of Priory Park.
Within the grounds of the Park there are tennis courts, a heated outdoor pool, a nine-hole par 31 golf course, a popular Clubhouse bar and restaurant in a building dating back almost 1000 years, numerous woodland trails, and direct access to the shore of the River Orwell.
The homes within Priory Court are complemented by wide drives, grass verges and Victorian style streetlamps. With a wide range of homes, each is positioned at different heights and aspects to create an attractive, unregimented environment.
The variety of homes and the individualised nature of each was a conscious decision as James explains:
“Priory Court has been completely redeveloped over the years and we have sold homes from all of the main park home manufacturers. The redevelopment was all about customer choice which we felt would also make for a more interesting development. On the holiday home side of things, we have tended to work in the same way and have examples of most of the mainstream caravan and lodge manufacturers represented.”

HOLIDAY HOMES
The Little family were pioneers in the UK lodge market in the mid-80s and the holiday home side of the business caters for privately owned caravans and lodges where use is strictly limited to owners and their families. James says that “this enables us to maintain high standards and ensure the Park runs in a particular way.”
He continues: “There are several different holiday home planning consents within the 115 acres. At the moment we have 170 holiday homes in situ including our flagship Friars and original Abbots developments but do have planning for a gradual increase which over time will provide space for a further 125. As we have always tended to see development more as gradual evolution, this should keep Jake busy for the next twenty years!”
Four years ago, the Little family purchased a neighbouring small caravan park business to secure Priory’s boundaries. For now, and notwithstanding the rigours of running a business during Covid times, the focus is on maintenance and upkeep of the existing buildings to ensure all is in good order before starting the gradual redevelopment of Orwell Meadows. In time this will provide 40 new caravan holiday home plots which may well become a further lodge development, subject to planning in the future.
According to James, the Little family run Priory Park “in a low-key fashion without much fanfare.” It’s a very customer-centric business.
“Our aim is to be the best we can, providing a secure and exclusive environment for our customers to enjoy. We try to make the most of what nature has given us with the beautiful setting and treat our customers how we would like to be treated ourselves. Ultimately it is all about the people; without our customers or staff there is no business!”

BEWARE THE SLIPS AND TRIPS

Posted on February 16, 2022

BEWARE THE SLIPS AND TRIPS

All you need to know about holiday park insurance…

 

WINTER IS TRADITIONALLY the time to check if your park and all its assets are properly protected against any eventuality.

 

As a holiday and caravan park owner or manager, the quieter winter season is often used as an opportunity to run annual maintenance checks and undertake refurbishment to interiors and exteriors where needed.
This is also a time when it is important to make sure that your park and all its assets are properly protected against any eventuality.
“Holiday park insurance can help you to identify what your park insurance needs are, and to make certain that these are provided for with a cost-effective policy,” says Dave Moffat, Director of Pib Group Insurance, the company behind the popular Park Protect scheme.
Whilst holiday parks present similar risk to many businesses there are significant differences. Holiday parks rely on the infrastructure on the park in the form of underground pipes and hook ups, access barriers, on site lighting etc and it is important that your insurance policy can cater for this.
“Many holiday parks will also have holiday home hire feet and holiday home stock,” advises Dave. “As such it is important that a parks insurance policy is able to cater for such units and also the debris removal and re-siting costs associated with replacing holiday homes. ”These are just two of many areas to consider when insuring holiday parks and it is important that your needs are professionally assessed.

 

 

REVENUE LOSS
In addition to recouping the actual financial cost of rebuilding or buying new holiday homes and buildings, it makes financial sense to obtain insurance which will provide you with a cover for the loss of revenue or profit incurred following a material loss.
It is important that you seek professional advice in this area to make sure the sum insured and indemnity period are sufficient for your business needs and the period your business could be affected following a serious loss, such as a fire or flood.
Pib offers common sense advice: “Having members of the public stay in your caravans and spend time in your park on a daily basis also exposes you to other financial risks.
“We live in an increasingly compensation-based culture, in which some people are willing to sue for the smallest things. Though some compensation claims may be for fatuous reasons, there are also very real risks within any holiday park that could result in injury or loss.”
One indemnity limit area holiday parks do need to consider is the limit of indemnity under this cover as the levels of very serious losses has increased exponentially in recent years and claims well in excess of £5m are no longer unusual. Crucially the limit of indemnity is set at the time of the incident but the ultimate settlement amount can fluctuate depending on the calculators used for such claims at the time of settlement. It is not possible to buy additional cover after the event and if your limit of indemnity is exhausted you would be responsible for the shortfall.
All businesses with employees are required to have Employers Liability Insurance arrangements, which usually has a £10,000,000 limit of indemnity. As with Public Liability, all Holiday Parks should consider higher limits of indemnity as it is no longer inconceivable that a very serious injury to an employee could exhaust this cover. The cost of arranging such Excess Liability cover is relatively small and should be discussed with a specialist Insurance provider.

 

Each holiday park will have different insurance needs, depending on size and a variety of other factors. A large-scale park with hundreds of caravans will have different policy requirements to that of a smaller family run park.
Insuring more than 200 caravan and holiday parks across the UK, Park Protect provides tailor-made insurance for the specific needs of your business.
Meanwhile, with all the signs pointing towards another bumper year for the industry what do Holiday Parks need to think about in relation to Insurance.
Compass Insurance have consistently raised awareness about the importance of being insured for the right amount, whether that’s parks themselves or their owners and their individual caravans and lodges. As the costs of rebuilding and replacing park buildings and in particular, caravans and lodges increases, this places more emphasis on sums insured being accurate.
For Parks this means making sure that any buildings and infrastructure insured on their policy is accurate and in some cases a valuation or survey is a good idea especially if you haven’t reviewed this for a few years.
Analysis at the end of 2021 showed that the cost of rebuilding and repairing damaged buildings had increased 7.9% in the last 12 months and forecasts show this continuing to increase as shortages of materials and labour continue into 2022. With that in mind we’re introducing a valuation service for parks insured with Compass so they can have the peace of mind that comes with a professional valuation for their sums insured.
For the owners of individual caravans on your park this can have greater significance as the current issues with supply of new and second-hand units means that what a customer insured for in good faith just six months ago may already be less than the cost of replacing that unit in today’s market.

 

 

IN GOOD FAITH
Compass always look at what the customer insured for at the point the policy was taken out or renewed and base our assessment of any claim on that value. In 2022 our policies will also be updated to contain a provision for this growing trend so that customers don’t find themselves underinsured for no fault of their own.
Compass are renowned for our market leading Holiday Caravan and Lodge product but in 2021 they invested time and resource in developing and launching more products that parks and their customers can benefit from.
Its Residential Park Home product underwent a major overhaul including the introduction of two tiers of cover (Essentials and Extra) which enable the customer to tailor it to meet their needs, as well as the addition of Home Emergency and Legal Expenses as optional covers.

 

 

TRAVEL INSURANCE
They have also developed and launched products for owners of Touring Caravans and Motorhomes both of which give market leading levels of cover at very competitive premiums.
Finally, and new for 2022, Compass is excited to be announcing the launch of its travel insurance product for customers who book breaks on Holiday Parks in the UK.
This product has been developed specifically to meet the growing demand for UK holidays and gives the customer a wide range of cover including cancellation, curtailment and emergency assistance and also includes cover for Covid19 related illness or restrictions.

Caravan Guard (Leisuredays)
Tel. 01422 396 693
Email. park-operator@leisuredays.co.uk
www.leisuredays.co.uk

Compass Insurance
Tel. 0344 274 3908
Email. enquiries@compass.co.uk
www.compassparks.co.uk

Pib Group (Park Protect)
Tel. 01422 358 525
Email. hello@pib-insurance.com
www.pib-insurance.com