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pookie

What are the minimum requirements for a basic campsite?

At present we have an acre field with a tap/water supply. It is mostly flat.
welsh veg grower

think thats it for the basic site with the caravan club just land, access and water

you can ask them for advice and help and they will let you know what you need to do, they were very helpful when we were looking into it.
Silas

You need a chemical toilet emptying point.
RichardW

Depends on your market.

Bushcraft campers want two trees & to be allowed to have a fire.

Camping clubs will want more.
Ren

I'll ask my mum & get back to you.
stumbling goat

good drainage.

da
wellington womble

I'm pretty sure the caravan club hideaway sites only require water, no kids and peace and quiet.
chez

This might help?
Jb

Re: What are the minimum requirements for a basic campsite?

pookie wrote:
At present we have an acre field with a tap/water supply. It is mostly flat.


Plenty of wildcampers who would regard that as overdeveloped. OTOH if you want to charge for it surely you could just set a charge in proportion to the facilities you offer?
Bebo

A pub within walking distance (well it does if I'm going to stay there Wink ).
dpack

pends on the punters
i recon basics for most folk is
water ,toilet ,flat ground ,shower is good ,basic food supplies is nice
personalities matter more than facilities but most want home comforts of a sort
pookie

hmm so no legalities/planning permission?
Ren

Mum says it can be complicated but thinks you need some form of planning permission. Says local council should be able to provide more info.
RichardW

Its only no planning IF you go down the 5 van max 28 day stop over per van club route. All others need planning. Oh & the CC turn down more sites than they approve.
pookie

we were thinking, basic, secluded and no facilities.

Idea has cropped up with visitors we have had staying (relatives) they have a campervan and are completely self-contained. They just want a field and water and peace, which they certainly got. They also got a fantastic view to wake up to.

They suggested we should offer the field out on a very limited basis for people wanting the same.

I just wondered if there were any planning issues, though If you can have up to 5 caravans without permission with the caravan club then it sound like it may be pretty doable..........

thanks guys
RichardW

You can also use a farm field for ANY purpose for 28 days in any year.
welsh veg grower

RichardW wrote:
You can also use a farm field for ANY purpose for 28 days in any year.

ANY - mmm thinks hard about what could be arranged in large back field Laughing
Lorrainelovesplants

Orgy--- sell tickets
Rave
Car boot
music festival
craft fair
antiques fair
vintage rally
motocross (will leave your field in a right state)
pookie

Lorrainelovesplants wrote:
Orgy--- sell tickets
Rave
Car boot
music festival
craft fair
antiques fair
vintage rally
motocross (will leave your field in a right state)


but surely there are some restrictions, ie huge amounts of traffic, noise etc?
chez

The Caravan Club thingy is a kind of blanket planning. I notice on their 'landowner's information' sheet that they cite 'a great view' as a strong thing.

Are you considering orgies, then?
Lorrainelovesplants

Whats wrong with an orgy?

Or naturist camping?

Im sure you'd meet some very nice people Laughing
chez

I wasn't knocking the idea. Just askin' Laughing
cab

pookie wrote:

but surely there are some restrictions, ie huge amounts of traffic, noise etc?


Quite right. Probably knocks the idea of an orgy on the head then.
Lorrainelovesplants

Controlled orgies could be a good moneyspinner......not enough good orgies around........give the neighbours something to discuss. Laughing Laughing
judith

And it could be a good opportunity to develop your range of 'special' cakes. Very Happy
Went

judith wrote:
And it could be a good opportunity to develop your range of 'special' cakes. Very Happy



On second thoughts.....
i'll leave it there. Rolling Eyes
Lorrainelovesplants

Cant think of any other silly things...brain has dried up........... Laughing
shadiya

Probably just as well.... Wink
Lorrainelovesplants

No, I tell a lie......................

there's loads more rubbish in there...........................

medeival reenactment site, field foraging site (I was contacted earlier this year about this), boat storage, carvan storage, site for stargazing( contact a local observatory who are looking for a light pollution free site), fieldcraft site for schoolkids (donation via PTA or whatever) Laughing

Told you.......... Laughing loads of ideas.
goldy1

I frequently rallie with http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/
And we are always looking for new venues.

Most rallies are held on farmers fields with just a tap and a loo emptying point.

good acsess from the road is a must with caravans.

This is my D.A.'s meet list for this year to give you an idea of the places we use. http://www.lancsandchesda.co.uk/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=categoryevents&id=2&Itemid=9
gom

If it's any help, I started a small campsite this year, which has gone exceedingly well.

We did the 28 day thing last year to guage interest, see what worked and what didn't, and after that, decided we had a go-er.

Over winter we got pp, and are now winding down after a successful (That is a relative term!) first season.

We advertise online only, around 50% of enquiries come from UK Campsites, the rest from the local TheBestOf site, and various forums and directories on which I got us listed.

The 28 day thing is really useful, it means you don't have to comply with loads of bollocky regs - you can experiment on the cheap, there are some good ideas posted above.

Check out Eweleaze Farm for one that only does 28 days year in year out.
jamanda

We stayed at Eweleaze a couple of years ago - they certainly do it in a big way, even if it's only for a month.
alison

Gom or Jamanda, or anyone.

Have you any more links to other sites like this. 28 day rule ones.
goldy1

quiet a few of the camping and caravaning club rallie sites run on 28 day rule.
gom

alison wrote:
Gom or Jamanda, or anyone.

Have you any more links to other sites like this. 28 day rule ones.


I only knoe the Eweleaze one. If you are thinking of going down that route you are going to have to work hard to get a reputation for something special, then only open in August for instance. Start advertising in December, use UKCampsites.

Hint - NO BRAINER suggestion, allow campfires, provide the wood yourself (At a profit that is), provide firepits on every pitch (Transit van wheel hubs work just dandy).
jamanda

Sorry Alison. I don't know of any more.
Jonnyboy

gom wrote:


Hint - NO BRAINER suggestion, allow campfires, provide the wood yourself (At a profit that is), provide firepits on every pitch (Transit van wheel hubs work just dandy).


Isn't that a H&S/insurance nightmare? windy night....spark...conflagration.....

Don't get me wrong, I love a good campfire but if it was my ass on the line.....
jamanda

Eweleaze do allow fires. They had a huge stack of tree cuttings that people could just help themselves to, but they use a heck of a lot more space than your camping field Alison. I think there were five fields, and all of them were big. They had solar showers dotted here and there, and hole in the ground toilets. Wouldn't have wanted to have been there in the last Summer or two.
goldy1

Jamanda wrote:
They had solar showers dotted here and there, and hole in the ground toilets. .

do you mean just pits? this is now illegal i think
jamanda

goldy1 wrote:
Jamanda wrote:
They had solar showers dotted here and there, and hole in the ground toilets. .

do you mean just pits? this is now illegal i think


Yes, just pits - It's wasn't that long ago. But, they did look to building a great big new toilet block.
alison

Jonnyboy wrote:
gom wrote:


Hint - NO BRAINER suggestion, allow campfires, provide the wood yourself (At a profit that is), provide firepits on every pitch (Transit van wheel hubs work just dandy).


Isn't that a H&S/insurance nightmare? windy night....spark...conflagration.....

Don't get me wrong, I love a good campfire but if it was my ass on the line.....


Fires are a no no here. Nylon tents, top of a hill (windy) accident waiting to happen.

I am always interested in how other sites run though.
gom

alison wrote:
Jonnyboy wrote:
gom wrote:


Hint - NO BRAINER suggestion, allow campfires, provide the wood yourself (At a profit that is), provide firepits on every pitch (Transit van wheel hubs work just dandy).


Isn't that a H&S/insurance nightmare? windy night....spark...conflagration.....

Don't get me wrong, I love a good campfire but if it was my ass on the line.....


Fires are a no no here. Nylon tents, top of a hill (windy) accident waiting to happen.

I am always interested in how other sites run though.


Yes, windy hill tops a nightmare! Not an insurance issue, more of a fear of getting sued issue!

Designated firepit areas surrounded by gravel, with a bucket of sand nearby work fine.
It helps to give punters a gallon or two of petrol to get things going Shocked .
I always talk the punters through it with all the warnings, then finish by saying sorry for having to say all that because you are an adult, but I have to cover myself.
It only really worries me when they bring captive chavs with them to cfheck if human flesh really does taste like pork.
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