The Easter holidays often mark the start of a new season for many caravanners, with parks reopening and travel plans taking shape across the UK.
This year brings a mix of developments across the sector. New campsite tenancies are being offered, some sites are changing management, and others are planning extensions and refurbishment.
Meanwhile, long-standing risks continue to evolve, highlighted by reports of stolen caravans being recovered as far afield as Poland.
Here’s a closer look at some of the latest stories affecting caravan owners and holiday park users this season …
Fancy running a caravan park in Elvaston Castle, Derby?
The first of the campsite initiatives is an offer from Derbyshire County Council to take on the tenancy of the 4.02-acre caravan park at historic Elvaston Castle, which dates back to 1633 and is renowned for its formal gardens and surrounding parkland.
In its story about the council’s initiative, Practical Caravan magazine revealed that bids for a tenancy are open to offer.
A caravan park in the grounds of Elvaston Castle had been in operation since the 1960s, but recurring drainage problems on the site meant that it closed down in 2012. Derbyshire County Council tried to let the site again in 2018, but no new tenants took up the offer. A later attempt to sell the site also fell through.
The site has now been cleared once again, and the council is promoting the commercial opportunity for a new caravan site venture within the 321 acres of historic landscape.
Lake District: Park Cliffe Campsite under new operator
A well-established campsite in the ever-popular Lake District is under new management.
The former Park Cliffe Camping and Caravan Estate has been renamed Park Cliffe Windermere Camping and Caravan Park under its new management, the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC), it has been announced.
CAMC is naturally very excited to add a further site to its list, especially one so close to the stately lake and just three miles from Bowness-on-Windermere. Under the club’s management, the site is open to all-comers – touring caravans, campers, motorhomes, and glampers.
Already the holder of a David Bellamy Gold Conservation Award for a management style that fosters environmental responsibility and protection of local flora and fauna, Park Cliffe is home to red deer, roe deer, foxes, squirrels, and abundant birdlife. In tandem with its natural treasures, the park also boasts modern amenities such as a shop, bar and restaurant, children’s playground, games room, and park-wide Wi-Fi.
Stolen UK caravans recovered in Poland with help from NCC, VIN Chip and CRiS security systems
In a posting on the 19th of March, the National Caravan Council (NCC) revealed that several high-end caravans stolen in the UK have been found and recovered as far away as Poland.
Working in concert with the NCC, Cheshire Constabulary Rural Crime Team has concluded an investigation resulting in the return to their UK owners of several caravans and other possessions, following the arrest by Polish authorities of six offenders who are now currently awaiting trial.
Praising the collaboration with both the NCC and the Polish authorities, Cheshire police urged caravan owners to improve the security of their caravans by attaching a VIN Chip – a tamper-proof identification label, containing a radio frequency ID (RFID) chip, that links the caravan to a database securely managed by the nationwide Central Registration & Identification Scheme (CRiS)
Proposed Northumberland caravan park extension could bring £1.6m boost to local economy
Coquet View Leisure Park in Warkworth, Northumberland, has submitted a planning application for a further 64 static caravans at its site north of Morpeth, revealed the Northumberland Gazette on the 27th of March.
Planning permission had previously been granted for 124 static caravans, but the plan was never developed. The current application for a reduced number of units reflects changes in a planning regime that has become more environmentally sensitive. Even with fewer additions to the site, however, the application claims there will be a £1.6 million boost to the local economy.