Re-Opening After Lockdown 2020

In these unprecedented times, we are pleased to be re-opening the camping parks at Sea Barn Farm and West Fleet Holiday Farm. We will be doing so in what we believe to be proportionate and manageable steps. Our key priorities are the safety of our guests, team members and our local community.

There will be a number of very noticeable changes in the way the parks operate for the summer of 2020 and until such time as the global pandemic has eased substantially or, hopefully, been defeated. These changes will affect every aspect of how the parks operate and you will notice the difference. From booking your stay, to the facilities that will be available, how you use the parks and right through to your departure, we have reviewed and revised our systems and processes to protect the safety of guests, colleagues and our community, as far as is possible.

Guest Numbers

Sea Barn Farm and West Fleet Holiday Farm are each licenced to provide up to 250 pitches per park. For the foreseeable future, we will be operating with substantially reduced guest numbers. This will make it easier for guests to maintain a suitable “social distance” of at least two metres whilst on the park, ensure that all guests have plenty of space and allow us to manage those facilities that are open in as safe a way as possible. Our current working estimate is that we will be operating at no more than 10 per cent of our licensed capacity – not the most profitable way to re-open, but the way we think is safest in the current circumstances.

Booking

We expect demand for pitches to far exceed our capacity to host guests this year. Consequently our booking procedures have changed. We will only be accepting guests on to the parks who have a confirmed booking, who have paid in full prior to arrival and who have specifically agreed to our new terms and conditions. No pitches will be available to prospective guests who turn up without a confirmed booking. In addition, the following conditions will apply:

1. No Groups;
2. No short stays or weekends (the minimum booking we will accept is 5 days);
3. No visitors under any circumstances, at any time (access is strictly limited to those guests named on the booking).

Priority for available pitches will be given to:

1. Guests who already have a booking;
2. Guests who have stayed with us previously.

If you do not fall into either of the groups specified above, you are very unlikely to be able to stay with us this year. Guests will be contacted by phone or email prior to their visit. We will only accept payment by card or on-line. No cash transactions can be accepted. All guests will be required to accept and agree to our revised terms and conditions specific to the current situation. Regular visitors to us will be familiar with the system of bonds we have operated for groups for many years. This year we will be extending that system to cover all bookings, but this will no longer be a cash bond, but an additional charge (and subsequent repayment) on the card used to make the booking.

At the time of booking you will be asked to agree a date and time of arrival, so that we can manage your check-in procedure as safely as possible for you and our team. We will agree a 30 minute check-in “window” with you. If you are unable to meet that check-in window, please let us know as soon as possible, but at least 1 hour before the start of your agreed check-in time. We will inform you of the next available check-in window, which may not be immediately after the slot you were allocated. Please do not arrive before your allocated arrival slot or any re-arranged arrival window.

For the foreseeable future, we will only be accepting new arrivals between 1200 hrs and 1700 hrs.

On Arrival

DO NOT TRAVEL TO US IF YOU OR ANY MEMBER OF YOUR PARTY HAS ANY SYMPTOMS OF COVID 19. IF SYMPTOMS DEVELOP DURING YOUR JOURNEY, YOU MUST RETURN HOME IMMEDIATELY.

On arrival you will be required to go directly to reception (you may need to wait for our newly installed gates to be opened for you). Please stay in your vehicle and a member of our team will come to you. We will check with you the details of all guests in your household, as we are required to do.

Our team member will show you where to pitch and will check that you have brought with you a sanitary kit including hand sanitiser, wipes and an approved antiviral surface cleaning spray. You will be allocated a set of facilities (a sink, a toilet and a shower) which you will be required to use for the duration of your stay (more of which later).

During Your Stay

You will notice a number of differences during your stay, including:

1. The swimming pool will be closed (we are not allowed to open it).

2. The shops will be offering a limited service, limited opening hours, one adult per family keeping 2m apart, no children will be permitted;

3. The clubhouse will not be opening and consequently there will be no children’s entertainment;

4. All the play area equipment will be out of bounds and must not be used;

5. The laundries will be open, but numbers will be limited.

6. Gates to the camping parks will be locked between 2200 Hrs and 0800 Hrs during which time no vehicle movements onto or off the park will be permitted. The gates will only be opened in case of a genuine emergency. There will be no parking permitted outside the gates or on the approach roads to the parks;

7. You will be expected to stick together within your family group at all times. Children of any age will not be permitted to wander the camping park unattended by an adult (given the additional and ample space each booking will be allocated we do not envisage this will be a hardship and will expect all guests to follow this rule rigidly;

8. If we allow guests to bring a dog, there will be no leeway or negotiation on the terms of their stay. If your dog is not on a lead at any time, it will need to leave. Likewise, all faeces must be collected and disposed of safely by you in the bins provided;

All our other terms and conditions with reference to noise, BBQ’s, no fires etc. will remain in force, but we ask our guests to be particularly mindful of our local community at this time. As stated above, our gates will be locked at night and we would encourage guests to view their stay with us as a time for quiet and peaceful enjoyment of the countryside.

Toilet, Sink and Shower Facilities

It is very clear from the scientific advice and Government Guidance that shared toilet, shower and washing facilities pose a greater risk of transmitting coronavirus. This is, in part, why gyms, swimming pools and other venues with shared toilet, changing and shower facilities have been among the last to be released from lockdown. The Government’s Guidance for the hospitality sector does, exceptionally, allow for the opening of shared facilities on campsites. It says:

“Outdoor accommodation (i.e. campsites) will be allowed to reopen shared showering facilities, as long as they are operated in the manner set out below…taking all possible steps to reduce the risk of transmission in shared shower, changing, and toilet facilities including:

– Where possible assigning one group of washing and showering facilities to one household group
– Where showers and toilets are shared, setting clear use and cleaning guidance to ensure they are kept clean and clear of personal items and that social distancing is achieved as much as possible.”

The Guidance goes on to say that:

“In the case of shared shower and kitchen facilities these should be managed and cleaned with particular care. These should only be open in outdoor settings (i.e. on campsites). Shared shower and kitchen facilities within hostels or bed and breakfasts should either be shut, or made private (such as by specifically assigning them to one household, or running a reservation-and-clean process).”

With this in mind, we will be taking an exceptional course of action this year.

1. Facilities blocks will NOT be designated as Male and Female, but will have numbered sink, toilets and showers dedicated to an individual booking/household. Urinals in what would, under normal circumstances be Male facilities blocks, will be taped off and MUST NOT BE USED;

2. All facilities will be checked, cleaned and sanitised by park staff on a regular basis and especially at the changeover of bookings.

3. Guests who have self-contained facilities within their own caravan or motorhome will be required to use those facilities exclusively. The on-park toilets, showers and sinks will be closed to these customers;

4. Other guests who have a numbered toilet cubicle, shower cubicle and sink allocated to their booking must use their allocated facilities only and no others. All users must stick to the following conditions of use. Guests must:
1. a. Sanitise their hands before entering and on leaving their allocated facilities building;
2. b. Keep their sinks, toilets and showers clear of all and any items except when occupied, whether toiletries, clothing, bags or towels;
3. c. Keep their facilities clean and be responsible for sanitising surfaces and contact points before and after use;
4. d. Not use anyone else’s allocated facilities;
5. e. Report immediately any misuse of their facilities or those of any other guests;
6. f. Use all facilities with consideration and respect for other users;
7. g. Try to avoid using your shower, toilet or sink facilities if the cubicle(s) next to yours are already in use. If you can, wait a while and come back later.
8. h. Try to be as quick as you can in using the facilities and avoid loitering inside communal areas of the facilities blocks;
9. i. Not allow children (of any age) to use the facilities without an adult;
10. j. If queuing anywhere for facilities, please do so outside the buildings and maintain a gap of at least 2 metres between members of your household and those of any other household;

Washing Up, Water Points, Rubbish and Recycling

Washing up, water points and waste disposal points will be open and in common use. We urge all guests to stick to using the nearest of these facilities to their own pitch. They will be sanitised and serviced regularly by our on-park team, but we would ask all guests to sanitise sinks, taps and contact points before and after use (and don’t forget to wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 secs!). We also ask all guests to be particularly careful about their handling and disposal of rubbish and recycling. Please ensure all rubbish and recycling is placed in proper bin bags and tied shut before being placed in dumpsters. Because rooks and gulls tear bags open and spread waste far and wide across the parks PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE RUBBISH AND RECYCLING BAGS IN THE OPEN. They should either be in your tent, your vehicle or in the dumpster.

On Your Pitch

As noted elsewhere, due to the lower than usual level of occupancy, we envisage that all guests will have ample space around their own pitch. We would ask you to stick to that area, or the games field at West Fleet, to enjoy socially distanced time with members of your own household. Please do not visit other guests’ pitches and maintain a respectful distance from them and their pitch at all times. With lower levels of occupancy, noise from any pitch will be as intrusive as usual, but will be much easier to trace!

When You Leave

Please be packed and ready to leave promptly on your day of departure. Ensure that all your property and possessions leave with you and that all rubbish and recycling has been bagged and binned.

Special Circumstances

If You Fall Ill

If you, or a member of your household, become ill during your stay you will have to leave and take everything with you. You will not be able to self-isolate on the camping park. It is up to you to contact the relevant medical authorities and you must to inform us immediately.

If We Fall Ill

We are a family-run business and other families help us run the parks. We are doing all that we can by working as separate teams and respecting social distancing to keep ourselves and colleagues healthy, but in the event that a member of a household becomes unwell it may be necessary to withdraw a service or close the park at short notice.

If Another Guest Falls Ill

In the event that a guest, other than one in your party, becomes ill and it is confirmed as Covid-19, we will take whatever action is necessary under the advice of the relevant authority. This may include withdrawal of some facilities or the complete closure of the parks.

Re-introduction of Lockdown

In the event that we are required to close due to the re-introduction of a local or national lockdown, your booking may need to be cancelled or re-arranged.

And Finally...

These are challenging times for everyone. We are re-opening in a way which we think is cautious and as safe as possible in circumstances that could change rapidly. We have based our plans on the current circumstances and Government Guidance, but reserve the right revise these plans in whatever ways are possible or necessary should those circumstances change in future.

Re-Opening 2020