Ability to chose hardstanding pitches on all sites

you already have that

Weight plays a big part, not sure of caravan weights but guess at most 2.5 tonnes ?

Most motorhomes / van conversions are a minimum of 3.5 tonnes ranging through to 7.5 tonnes. A lot  somewhere in the middle. It does make a difference. The club is called CAMC and motorhomes have grown in popularity, so the club options just need to reflect these changes and offer appropriate choice to all, it’s supposed to be an apolitical club!111

BB said:-

If the club is to allow pitch type selection, it has to be sure it can offer a suitable product to all customers...its no good selling grass pitches to those that prefer them on sites that clearly cant support winter MH traffic.

in this case, it would need advance planning to withdraw grass pitches from sale from a specific date (would vary on each site base on warden local knowledge) so that customers don't arrive to unsuitable pitches.

I think this already happens on those sites with a mix of grass and hardstandings. We have been to Seacroft several times in October and always booked a serviced pitch to make sure we have a hardstanding only to learn that grass pitches are taken out of action from the 1st October!!! It would help if the Club told us this in advance? If the ability to book a pitch type becomes a reality surely the Club are going to have to decide in advance when those pitches will be available and block them out accordingly on the booking page?

As an aside I just don't understand why some in this discussion question why some of us prefer using a hardstanding pitch. The problem is I suspect that those that prefer grass  are the ones that want to keep the option open to use a hardstanding if the weather is bad and any system where you select the pitch type on booking might mean in severe conditions it will be the people who have booked grass that will have their site visit cancelled?

David

Moreton in Marsh (the clue is in the name) converted a lot of their grass pitches into hard standings many moons ago and far less problems there now. The centenary site at New Forest also added many hard standings due to waterlogged pitches. We went to this site once and was told by the warden we weren’t allowed hardstanding as they were being kept for MHs we reluctantly accepted this and had a week on a very muddy pitch and left early due to this, spoilt our break. After this we only booked sites that were at least mostly hardstanding pitches. If allowed to book hardstanding I think it would ease the problem of people arriving early to site. Let’s face it, our weather isn’t conducive to putting heavy vans MHs and awnings on grass all spring, summer and autumn. For those that want to then fine but most will prefer hardstanding with our inclement weather.

David, yes you've agreed with my point that the club would have to make this decision on withdrawing grass pitches at specific dates before they can be sold and then fail to deliver...

would this be the same date on all sites? No, I doubt it, conditions vary a lot.

however, for some folk touring on grass is a far nicer thing to be doing (when grass is available) than chippings...

in the late spring and summer, when we are home, we use a lot of THS sites that are school playing fields or club rugby/football pitches and we like the feel of grass under our bare feet...

I am aware that, in this country, things can change and sites can get wet in autumn and we know we will be moving towards HS pitches...no problem, it's now it is for part of the year...

but CC HS pitches dont tent to have much in the way of adjacent grass to sit on, in fact, aren't the grass fingers 'no mans land'?

CC spacing and the requirement for maximum pitches, doesn't allow a pitch to have a HS area and a decent private grass area alongside....some commercials do...

customers' opinion will always split and delivering the right product is something the club will need to do if they go down the pitch choice route.

As an aside I just don't understand why some in this discussion question why some of us prefer using a hardstanding pitch. The problem is I suspect that those that prefer grass  are the ones that want to keep the option open to use a hardstanding if the weather is bad and any system where you select the pitch type on booking might mean in severe conditions it will be the people who have booked grass that will have their site visit cancelled?

I can see that on some sites with say 20% grass pitches there could  be an overall reduction in demand. Can't get HS go elsewhere is an option

I assume with the introduction of deposits in the offing that, like the C&CC system the type of pitch will then be be available to book on a structured pricing scale so this problem will be solved. The only drawback will be that on some sites the hardstanding pitches will be booked early. But on C&CC we often see the popularity of grass non ehu pitches where the basic price is also an attraction.

Same on our sportage auto

It could be an "interesting" scenario at Cherry Hinton site as several of the Hardstanding pitches are accessed via grass area

Fully agree with all your points BB👍 Club Sites are becoming less and less attractive as they are given over to more hard standings, and, as has been pointed out to us here this week, where the Club doesn’t see HS as viable, the Club will close down the Site all together. It’s in a rock and a hard place at the moment. Pack the pitches in tight using HS, losing a good bit of the aesthetics of a Site. But still charge expensive pitch fees.

Anything over £20 per night, and we prefer space and some landscaping to corporate tiles in the bogs, and dodgy 1950’s style hairdryers......