Since the middle of this summer, into the autumn, and well beyond that, caravanning is riding the crest of an unprecedented wave of popularity.
It’s a popularity which sees its fair share of news stories, of course, so here are several that caught our eye.
New static caravan age limits planned at Lincolnshire site
Caravan parks in Lincolnshire are introducing specific new rules about the maximum age of any static holiday home granted a pitch on their sites, according to a story in the Express newspaper on the 16th of September.
Noting that caravan holidays throughout the UK are enjoying something of a boom at the moment, the story revealed that Fantasy Island family amusement park, on the Lincolnshire coast, plans to limit the maximum age of its onsite static caravans to 22 years.
Existing caravan owners are being given advance notice that the new rules come into effect at the beginning of 2022 – so that any holiday home after that date will need to have been manufactured no earlier than this year, 2000.
Kingfisher Caravan Park, in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, last year also introduced a 20-year age limit on static caravans using pitches on the site
Leisure park owners, Park Leisure, on the 28th of August 2020, noted that while many static caravans are these days built to last 30 years or more – and could be used for quite literally a lifetime – it is usual for operators of static caravan parks to exercise age limits of between 10 and 20 years.
Old caravan turned in to a teenager’s garden retreat
Unsurprisingly, many families this summer have yearned for some kind of summerhouse in which to relax in their garden.
For one family of five – featured in a story in the Sun newspaper last month – the cost of a new summerhouse was simply beyond their means.
Instead, they picked up an old touring caravan from the 1990s for £1,100, spent a further £900 or so on renovating and sprucing it up, to make it the perfect getaway space for their teenage son.
Caravan site, petting zoo and activity centre planned in Preston
Pitches for up to 27 touring caravans are included in plans to develop a family activity centre at Whitestake, near Preston.
The centre will be built on the site of the existing Turbary House Nursery and will feature pursuits such as laser tag, bazooka ball, and archery, together with a range of additional activities including airsoft, laser clay shooting, zorb games, mini-jeeps and mini-tanks.
A shower block, laundry, and small play area will also serve the 27 touring caravans that may be accommodated within the proposed development.
New holiday park with 420 caravans could bring millions into East Yorkshire village
Plans have been approved for the development of a major new caravan park at Skipsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, according to reports in the Yorkshire Post earlier this month.
The holiday park will provide pitches for 420 static caravans and include a clubhouse, bar, restaurant, swimming pool, and a lake offering water sports and other activities.
The developers argued the case for the park’s contribution to local tourism – to the tune of an estimated £4.3 million – and the creation of 71 new jobs directly tied to the resort and a further 41 jobs indirectly related to it through the provision of local services.
A local farmer was among those raising objections to the plans on the grounds that the development of a new holiday park would increase traffic on surrounding roads, generate an unacceptable level of noise, and put pressure on local services. These would outweigh the claimed economic benefits, he argued.