Camping in the forest closure email (1 Viewer)

[Two on Tour]

I think their logic is more than a bit lame considering the locations and setting of their sites.




Coronavirus – What You Need to Know

Issued 25th June 2020

We're sorry to say that all of our Camping in the Forest sites will remain closed for 2020.

Any bookings made will be refunded automatically in full. We will be contacting all of our seasonal or storage customers individually, to update them on the next steps and their options.

The decision to keep our forest campsites closed has been a difficult one, and we understand how disappointing this news will be. However, your safety and wellbeing will always be our primary concern.

The very nature of our Camping in the Forest sites offers the freedom to pitch up where you want, whether beneath tree canopies or close to the forest edge. We want to provide you with the best possible experience, one that you have come to expect and enjoy, in a truly safe manner - something we feel we would be unable to deliver in the same way this year.

It’s important to us that when you stay in one of our beautiful forest locations, you can do so safely and enjoyably.

Our campsites will re-open from 1st April 2021 and you can make a booking from this date.

If you have any questions, our Service Centre are operating online and here to help with any enquiries over email. Please use our contact form and we will get back to you. We thank you for your support and understanding.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Vary lame indeed.

Yes they might have needed to look at capacity and reduce max numbers a bit. They might have been very concerned about keeping amenities blocks clean, especially on the biggest sites where those take a hammering. But a blanket closure has to be a cop out.

Sites like Sethorns, most pitches are separated by trees and scrub, and you can't pitch just anywhere. There are marker posts.
More open sites, what would have been wrong in reducing capacity a little and banging a few stakes in the ground?
Many sites had no toilet / shower blocks - no cleaning issues to worry about.

Having said they are now closed for rest of year, one wonders what if any cash flow the business will retain and whether we get to next year and find they won't open as they are now bankrupt. Perhaps there is other mischief going on too that the environmentalists don't actually want all these people going through the forests, which being crown owned should have the recreational use.

Local businesses won't be happy. All those pubs, cafes, restaurants, that will now be losing out on visitor trade that poured out of this sites

The C&CC don't have sites in places like the New Forest because of the clash with the CITF (their so called New Forest site at Verwood, is well outside of the National Park boundaries. You can't wildcamp in the forest. So basically it's become a no go zone for many of us.

 

[Nikki]

All that's going to happen now is that people will camp in the carparks, they are now, but it will get much much worse, the rubbish and other waste will be tenfold, that is exactly what forestry England wanted to avoid

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[TinaLes]

I am thinking it must be a staffing issue, The wardens I spoke to were full time MH full timers that came back from overwintering in Portugal/Spain each , to man the sites when they opened in spring. Maybe they were not re-employed at the start of the season this year because of the lock down, also a bit late maybe to ask them to start now, as they may have got other employment, like overnight key workers in supermarkets.

I am only guessing, but thats what I would have done in their situation, good money for night shelf fillers also.
So it must be staffing problem, plus all the agro of implementing SD screens, plus additional hygiene work in the facility blocks. Still no reason why they couldn't open the sites without facilities though.

Why didnt the CITF just close their website to all bookings?, they have let people book, taken deposits, so the decision not to open must have been made today.
I have wasted hours trying to find an available slot at any one of their new forest sites
Shame as they are my favourite style of site, when we use sites that is.
LES

 

[danielf]

I feel like there is something else going on here. No toilets on a lot of New Forest sites. Pitch distance enforced.
I have heard that staff only got told today and a lot that live on the sites may have been told to leave as well .....

Maybe the club wants to offload CITF sites ? The forestry commission have been wanting to get rid a few for years.
I wonder what percentage of tourism in the New Forest is camping and caravanjng ? Must be high.

Daniel.

 

[Nikki]

I feel like there is something else going on here. No toilets on a lot of New Forest sites. Pitch distance enforced.
I have heard that staff only got told today and a lot that live on the sites may have been told to leave as well .....

Maybe the club wants to offload CITF sites ? The forestry commission have been wanting to get rid a few for years.
I wonder what percentage of tourism in the New Forest is camping and caravanjng ? Must be high.

Daniel.

Yes I agree totally, alot of the staff are on temp contracts so don't have a leg to stand on

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[Two on Tour]

When we booked two weeks ago you could not pay a deposit it was full payment or nothing.

Maybe it's just me being sceptical, but I have been caught out before with a company taking as much money for orders as they could knowing they were going to shut shop and leave Joe public scratching for scraps after HMRC and major creditors had had their slice of the cake.

Camping in the Forest are not part of a Government body or the Forestry Commission but an LLP company registered at Companies House.

CAMPING IN THE FOREST LLP overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

CAMPING IN THE FOREST LLP - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

beta.companieshouse.gov.uk

 

[Two on Tour]

Just received this email.

It's very nice of them to say they will give us a full refund and not charge us for the refund.

​

We're sorry to say that our forest campsites will remain closed throughout 2020 The decision to keep our forest campsites closed has been extremely difficult, and we understand how disappointing this news will be. If you have an upcoming booking your payment will be refunded automatically and in full, without any charge. After careful review, it was clear that our forest campsites posed unique challenges, meaning that we would be unable to meet our high hygiene standards and adhere to government guidance on new measures around the running of campsites. Camping in the Forest offers you the freedom to pitch up wherever you want, whether this is beneath a canopy of trees or close to the forest edge - but it is important that this freedom is also safe and enjoyable. The situation we have found ourselves in this year is truly unprecedented - the logistical issues, along with the operational and financial risks of opening campsites so late in the season means that we've been left with no choice. We appreciate the inconvenience and disappointment this email brings and trust you will be understanding of the situation this year. Whatever you decide to do next - we will be back better than ever in 2021! If you have previously emailed us regarding your booking, and we have been unable to get back to you, we sincerely apologise.

 

[danielf]

Well I’ve twitter bombed them .... I feel so annoyed about this I joined Twitter ( I know it is a small thing really with everything else going on ) but those of us who have been on the front line of this COVID response for months need a break and I was looking forward to it ! My mum as as well having been widowed and then not seeing anyone ....

Daniel.

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[Holly's mum]

Very sad, we were really looking forward to this break. I hope they will be back next year

 

[theapples]

This all seems very strange. Tuesday evening I was able to book a 3 night stay in August on line and now they say they are not opening this year!!! Surely they should have sorted this out before reopening the bookings site. What a way to run a company.

 

[Nikki]

And they are now taking bookings for 2021, I for one don't trust them now to part with money for that

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[dipsie]

I am very “ peed “ as we had done 90% of our camping with C&CC in the New Forest. I have had a feeling for a while that something was going on as I could not get replies to e.mails
I feel for all the C&CC members who would have booked seasonal pitches, what a problem they must have, many who are fairly “ ancient “ use these sites as their last bit of caravanning.
I wonder if the club pay the CITF a fixed fee per season and by opening so late in the season that financially it was not viable.
The Forestry are going to have their work cut out rounding up all the “ wild campers” parking up in the car parks at night and overflowing waste bins, and good luck to them !

 

[Rjcamper]

Just had ours canceled, small site with no facilities.

Can't understand it really, been doing covid secure assessments for the past 3 weeks on more complex businesses, not difficult for campsites, sad really as really looking forward t getting away for a couple on nights and to be closed for rest of year seems very short sighted

 

[gerry mcg]

We're sorry to say that our forest campsites will remain closed throughout 2020 The decision to keep our forest campsites closed has been extremely difficult, and we understand how disappointing this news will be. If you have an upcoming booking your payment will be refunded automatically and in full, without any charge. After careful review, it was clear that our forest campsites posed unique challenges, meaning that we would be unable to meet our high hygiene standards and adhere to government guidance on new measures around the running of campsites. Camping in the Forest offers you the freedom to pitch up wherever you want, whether this is beneath a canopy of trees or close to the forest edge - but it is important that this freedom is also safe and enjoyable. The situation we have found ourselves in this year is truly unprecedented - the logistical issues, along with the operational and financial risks of opening campsites so late in the season means that we've been left with no choice. We appreciate the inconvenience and disappointment this email brings and trust you will be understanding of the situation this year. Whatever you decide to do next - we will be back better than ever in 2021! If you have previously emailed us regarding your booking, and we have been unable to get back to you, we sincerely apologise.

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[Kannon Fodda]

Don't bother trying to book a C&CC site for the same dates as your cancelled CITF. If you'd booked CITF with your C&CC membership the bookings system thinks you are already going somewhere so you can't book elsewhere.

 

[TinaLes]

Seeing what the numpties have been behaving like in Bournemouth & Durdle Door, plus all the roads in Dorset totally gridlocked, hasn't helped our cause today. People throwing abuse at council workers trying to clear overflowing bins on the beach, litter strewn everywhere when they leave. Many have driven 4 hours plus from Birmingham & Peterborough, when asked is this your local beach they lied of course.

Yes of course the car parks in The New Forrest will be heaving, not just with campervans, they will be camping in tents, putting 2 fingers up to authorities trying to govern the place and keep it safe.
Until people go back to work, if thats possible, then everywhere will be packed out on a sunny day in all directions, they feel they have to just get out, regardless of the risks.

"Covid 19 rules", "sod em, we got to live", "they cant keep us in anymore", "their mental elf has suffered cos of it",Cummings did it, so can we!
I despair, public behaviour seems to be out of control now, another spike in winter looks highly likely because they just could not be sensible.
LES

 

[Devon Sue]

They found out Funsters were descending en masse

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[Wissel]

Can see a lot of hospitality businesses staying closed for a good few months yet

I was speaking to a few companies yesterday/today (mainly pub/restaurant owners) and without being able to open fully and have entertainment etc (events are the months money for one I spoke to), it's cheaper to leave staff furlough'd.

Sad state really

 

[emjaiuk]

Well we were booked at Setthorns on the 13th July, now we're on a train instead.

 

[Smarty Marty]

There goes my first trip! I am very disappointed and the fact that I was going to a site with NO facilities and no electric hook up, I find it a pi## poor.

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[LiquidLunch]

Don't bother trying to book a C&CC site for the same dates as your cancelled CITF. If you'd booked CITF with your C&CC membership the bookings system thinks you are already going somewhere so you can't book elsewhere.

I did it last night as long as your CITF is already cancelled you can rebook with C&CC no problem.

 

[LiquidLunch]

I am very “ peed “ as we had done 90% of our camping with C&CC in the New Forest. I have had a feeling for a while that something was going on as I could not get replies to e.mails
I feel for all the C&CC members who would have booked seasonal pitches, what a problem they must have, many who are fairly “ ancient “ use these sites as their last bit of caravanning.
I wonder if the club pay the CITF a fixed fee per season and by opening so late in the season that financially it was not viable.
The Forestry are going to have their work cut out rounding up all the “ wild campers” parking up in the car parks at night and overflowing waste bins, and good luck to them !

The C&CC actually own over 70% of CITF, don't know who owns the rest. It appears with the restrictions the Gov put in it just wasn't possible to open and adhere to those restrictions????

 

[Rjcamper]

There goes my first trip! I am very disappointed and the fact that I was going to a site with NO facilities and no electric hook up, I find it a pi## poor.

Same here, no facilities on site, could have been controlled a lot better

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[OldWomble]

Decision was made yesterday so was it taken as a direct result of the 1/2 million or more idiots crowded on the local beaches?

 

[maz]

Yes it is and they have sacked most of their staff and kicking full timers off on the 4th July, no words

Have you got somewhere else to go to Nikki? After all the stress they put you through when lockdown was announced and they tried to kick fulltimers off then too!

 

[Nikki]

Hi maz
Thank goodness I've just found a place that is hidden away and off the beaten track on a farm, it's local so I can keep my work, which is just starting to trickle back in
I'm so relieved I can't tell you
Very kind of you to think of me
Nikki

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[dryad]

just wondering if the decision to not open the sites there might be nervousness at people from all over the country descending and possibly increasing and spreading the virus as it's popular and busy at the best of times, just a thought..

.

 

[Nikki]

just wondering if the decision to not open the sites there might be nervousness at people from all over the country descending and possibly increasing and spreading the virus, just a thought..

.

He he, they are coming anyway, just all over the place in a very uncontrolled manner
I'm not sure the locals here realise what's going to happen when people start start arriving with nowhere to camp...

 

[2x2camper]

Just looking at the Settlethorns campsite I see it is opening later than it did this year. We were there in February this year

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