Officially, they are only for the use of members and the site owner should ask to see a current membership card. I have heard, however, of one or two cases where cards have not been asked for.
I have considered joining the C&CC, but as I only have tents, I did wonder why I'd pay the same rate as a Caravanner.
Turning up to a site and being told
"Yes you can camp here, but you'll have to pay an extra 7 GBP per night premium, unless you join the 'Club' for 37 GBP and a further 10 GBP 'Joining Fee'.
Or save the 10 GBP, by paying annually by 'Direct Debit'."
I feel the 7 GBP premium per night, is the 'clincher' to encourage people to join.
Please don't get me wrong, I'm not against this.
I just have to decide whether I'd benefit by paying the 47 GBP.
More research on my part methinks?
Regards James
------------- In the beginning there was darkness.
Then I bought a tent.
I'm not destitute, I'm just poor.
we have been to 4 certified sites this summer and not once were we asked for membership cards and was sure that others were not members so would we have had our discount taken off
We chose to join the C&CC as the reviews I read of the sites seemed to indicate that they're more tightly managed and the rules are enforced. That includes the distance between units so I'm sure there would be less likelihood of packing people in.
We've only done one trip so far but I must admit we weren't disappointed. It wasn't a CS but everyone followed the rules (even the kids it seemed) and I'm sure we'll get our money back in savings on the site fees.
I had the same quandary as you but looking at the posts on here it seemed more people were pro membership than against.
Quote: Originally posted by jaytravis on 23/8/2010
we have been to 4 certified sites this summer and not once were we asked for membership cards and was sure that others were not members so would we have had our discount taken off
The non-member pitch fee of £7 which James Watt was referrring to (and which incidentally is only about £2 for backpackers) is charged by those Club Sites who accept non-members, ie nearly all of them.
Privately owned Certificated Sites, which should only accept members, fix their own prices, so the question of members discounts, or additional fees for non-members, shouldn't arise.
It's part of the law that allows the Clubs to certify the 5 van sites themselves that it's only for their members. I should think the Clubs wouldn't want the authorities to discover that sites were breaching the rules by allowing non members on. But how are the Clubs going to find out? Presumably only if people report sites? One of the reasons for a CL closure given in the lists that appear in the Caravan Club mag is "certification conditions breached" so they must occasionally do an investigation.
I've stayed on two certified sites in the past few years - on the first we didn't see the owner at all and just dropped the money in a box and in the second we weren't asked for our membership cards (and actually there were 6 vans on the site at one time!). If the sites don't ask to see the membership cards they could easily be letting non members on and could be struck off if found out and that would be their own fault, but we would have lost the opportunity to use that site. So what do people think, should we report it to the Club every time we are not asked for our cards?
Edit: Just found a guidance note from DEFRA that I had downloaded a while ago on this subject (I said I was sad). Scrub everything I've just said above about non members because in the note it says:
"Exempted organisations issue certificates stating that the site has been approved for use by its members.People who are not members of the organisation may also use the site, unless there is an agreement between the site owner and the organisation that use is restricted to members."
So it's not the law after all that non members cannot use the sites - it's just an internal Club thing. I still don't know whether I ought be be a good boy and report it though.
If anyone wants to find out more about this subject I've just found that all the info has moved from the DEFRA website to Natural England website. I can provide a link if anyone's interested.
Quote: Originally posted by sunvalleysue on 23/8/2010
Quote: Originally posted by fran1000 on 23/8/2010
It's worth it if you use their sites a lot as your pitch fees are a lot cheaper.
I really like C&CC sites. They always seem well kept and well run, although I have a few reservations about Corfe Castle.
I would be interested to here about your reservations with Corfe Castle site as its one we are considering for next year.
I'll let you know when I've heard back from the club - they will appear in my review in due course!
It may be the case that they have plans in hand to address my concerns, or that there were exceptional circumstances while we were there. I'd rather not slate them if that's the case.
Quote: Originally posted by evenstephen on 23/8/2010
I didn't really want to get all legal but as no one else has mentioned it, I believe that the "unlimited tents" sort of wording arose out of the Caravan Sites Act 1960 which set up the need for campsites to get local authority permission because people thought things were getting a bit out of hand. Because the Clubs made a fuss about this, the Act also allowed the Clubs and certain other organisations to licence sites for use by their own members - the limit was set at 5 vans and anything bigger than that needed local authority permission (it also allowed temporary rallies etc). But the Government obviously didn't see the need to limit the number of tents. And that's all that means - ie there is no limit set by statute. As people have already said there is of course a limit set by the size and layout of the site and the rules about how close you can pitch. I know all this history this is a bit boring but I find it quite interesting. Does that make me sad?
Not at all Stephen - I found it very interesting too.
I've just looked on the Natural England website and they have an updated guide to all of this. It appears that the camping in tents exemption arises out of the Public Health Act 1936, but this relates to rallies etc and doesn't mention the Certified Sites which as previously stated arose out of the Caravan Sites Act 1960. There doesn't appear to be any mention of tents in relation to 5 van sites. So I'm not sure how tents ever came to be allowed on Certified Sites - I suspect it was a special permission given to the Camping and Caravanning Club when CSs came in. I'm now getting thoroughly confused as to why, but the basic message remains that C&CC Certified Sites allow 5 vans and any number of tents. If anyone wants to see the Natural England note on this it is Here
Incidentally, this says that trailer tents are defined as tents for this purpose, so that presumably means that they don't get included in the 5 van limit.
I'll stop digging into this I think, I'm getting in too deep.
Changing the subject slightly. We joined the C&CC and I've been looking at the local clubs and am really interested in a meet they are doing locally. Do you have to pay extra to be a member of a local unit before I can go on the meet? Does anyone else go on meets with their local group?
Quote: Originally posted by mrsmcdreamy77 on 24/8/2010
Changing the subject slightly. We joined the C&CC and I've been looking at the local clubs and am really interested in a meet they are doing locally. Do you have to pay extra to be a member of a local unit before I can go on the meet? Does anyone else go on meets with their local group?
If you mean District Association meets, no. For example, on my card I've been allocated to West Midlands DA, so I could go to any local meets or to those organised by a different DA, and indeed to any Temporary Holiday Site whether organised by a DA or a Special Interest Group, as I did a couple of weeks ago.
There is an additional membership fee if you want to join a Special Interest Section, but I doubt if this would be charged for an initial visit to one of their meets.
Quote: Originally posted by James Watt on 24/8/2010
Hello again.
I'm curious to know, if the sites that don't ask for Membership Cards, accept Non Members, and assume all visitors are Non Members.
Thereby charging everyone the Non Members Premium.
Unless they produce Membership Cards?
Get my drift?
Regards James
Yes
No, the non-member pitch fee is only charged at Club Sites.
I can however understand a situation where the owner of a Certificated Site, met with a request from a non-member, might come to some financial arrangement with them to pitch on part of his property which may be adjacent to, but not officially part of, the area defined as the CS. The fee charged could of course possibly differ from that charged to the member on the CS.
I'm just waiting for my membership stuff to come through the post and the phonecall to say my tent is ready to be collected and I shall be booking to go on the meet.