Caravan & Camping Park

Note: Items 43 - 48 will always be assessed. Item 57 will be marked when there are touring pitches. Items 49, 50 and 52 will be marked when there are any holiday home pitches either for hire or privately owned.

Only those areas of the park which have not been considered in other sections will be included here. 
  

43. Cleanliness of the park

All corners of the park will be looked at carefully as well as the obvious areas. 

Positive Aspects:
A high standard of cleanliness throughout the park. Attention to detail ensuring that all areas are kept litter free.

Regular vigilance will be needed to ensure high standards. Providing litter bins which are child friendly and strategically placed helps. 

Negative Aspects:
Where any areas have been fouled by animals. Some parks avoid this by providing a dog walk.

Accumulation of litter in hedgerows.

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44. Layout of the park

The general layout of the park is considered. Has it been planned to good effect or has it just evolved in a haphazard manner with little consideration? 

There is inevitably a commercial advantage to the park to be able to have as many units as possible within the same overall acreage and this often leads to straight rows of units. 

This is not always compatible with the comfort for customers which might be enhanced by greater spacing. Where the landscape appears to dictate a more linear layout, efforts can still be made to enhance the overall effect by providing space and architectural or horticultural features between the units or nearby. 

Positive Aspects:
When the park area has been used to good advantage.

Where efforts have been made to break up the effect of serried rows.

Toilet blocks within a reasonable distance of touring pitches.

Play equipment away from high traffic areas.

Waste/water points outside park boundaries.

No natural or man-made hazards which get in people''s way.

Chemical disposal facilities placed away from a thoroughfare, and from an area where people may congregate e.g. in front of a shop, washing-up area or drinking water point.

Negative Aspects:
Where facilities or buildings are poorly located for their intended use.

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45. Landscaping

All parks need a landscaping policy to ensure high standards. 

Parks in some areas, especially coastal, may experience difficulty in getting plants and trees etc. to grow. However there are plants which will survive salty sea air and which thrive in sandy soil. Local Authorities and Scottish Natural Heritage will be able to give help and advice.

Natural materials such as wood and stone etc. can also be used to enhance the park.

Positive Aspects:
Where there has been an effort to enhance the park with the planting of trees and shrubs etc.

When the park is attempting to screen buildings or caravans with the use of trees and shrubs.

When features such as ponds, flower tubs, bird tables, seating areas are provided.

When the park is trying to make the best of natural features.

When stone, timber etc. have been used to good effect. 

Where new planting has been done some credit will be given, with the potential for more marks when mature.

Consideration to local flora and fauna and their conservation, including water features.

Provision of specifically defined conservation "buffer zones".

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46. Ground maintenance

This section includes defined car parking areas, kerb and edging to pathways throughout the park. 

Positive Aspects:
Where car parking areas are well maintained and weed free.

The grass is well kept throughout the park, taking into account the park location, type and also recent weather conditions.

Flower borders which are well kept and neatly edged.

Wildlife corridors kept uncut at edges, most notably near hedges, so long as this conservation policy is clear to park visitors.

Managed meadow and wild flower areas.

Negative Aspects:
The areas around the caravans, both caravan holiday homes and seasonal tourers, are poorly maintained or neglected.

The area immediate to the caravan is weedy or neglected. This includes areas around all units, whether for hire, privately-owned. 

It is the park owner/operator''s obligation to ensure that the park is tidily kept for other users and therefore this will always be included in the assessment.

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47. Building style and exterior maintenance

In addition to central facility buildings, on parks which provide chalets (not to be confused with single or twin unit timber-clad caravan holiday homes) the exterior of these would be considered under this item. 

Also included are any old and/or disused buildings, gas tanks and/or storage compounds, work yards, water tanks, walls, fences etc. throughout the park.

Positive Aspects:
Well painted and maintained buildings

Where the buildings are in character with the rest of the park and compatible with their surroundings.

When gas tanks and compounds are adequately and neatly screened.

Work yards by necessity can be untidy places but attention to detail in ensuring that they are as tidy as possible or very well screened from view will often be indicative of an excellent standard of park management.

Where there is a consistent appearance, bearing in mind that planning authorities may often dictate the style to be used.

Negative Aspects:
Water tanks that are rusted and poorly maintained.

Fencing or walls which are damaged or broken.

Where there are broken or cracked windows or poorly maintained fascia boards and guttering.

Old disused buildings detracting from the overall appearance of the park.

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48. Initial impression of the park

The initial impression a customer has of the park is of vital importance - you never get a second chance to make a first impression. 

The assessment of the initial impression of the park will include everything from when visitors turn off the highway until they arrive at reception.

Positive Aspects:
Where the park is well sign-posted and easy to find.

The park has an attractive, clean and well maintained entrance sign.

If viewed from the entrance you have a favourable impression of the park.

Negative Aspects:
The entrance to the park is neglected or unkempt.

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49. Condition of caravan holiday home pitches and service connections

Privately and park-owned caravan holiday homes are considered in this section.

Power, water, drainage and sewage connections to caravan holiday homes are, by their very nature, unattractive however carefully installed. The underside of caravans are not their best feature. Some form of screening, wood, brick, stone or plastic etc. is a very efficient method of hiding these connections and the chassis. The provision of this should be reflected in the assessment of this item. 

Some parks may have good reason and/or be prevented from installing any under caravan screening e.g. where there is a recognised possibility of flooding or high winds. They will not be penalised for this so long as the undersides of the units are tidy.

The site licence will often dictate what type of bases are to be used for caravan holiday homes. Quality Advisors are not making a judgement of this but looking at how well the provision has been made and how well it is being maintained.

Positive Aspects:
The underside of the holiday home caravans look neat and tidy. This need not be fixed screening but could include use of plants or other methods of hiding the connections. 

Services have been provided in such a way as to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Efforts have been made to conceal gas cylinders.

Negative Aspects:
There are long runs of drainage pipework or electrical connection wires.

Note that the provision of screening, which may help to hide the unsightly pipework, would be taken into account here, and the condition and appearance of that screening would however be assessed at item 50.

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50. External condition of caravan holiday homes including steps, balconies, storage etc.

Within this section, privately-owned caravan holiday homes and those for hire are included, as well as the external facilities for seasonal tourers too. Parks would not be penalised for older-style caravans if they are clean and well-maintained. Older units may still be well cared for and kept in pristine condition. Any tourers that are permanently on the park or for the season are included, but not short-term tourers.

Anything visible would be brought into the assessment.

Positive Aspects:
Steps which are well constructed or of a proprietary make. Some parks will insist on providing steps for all caravan holiday homes at the time of siting. This is advantageous in creating a uniform appearance across the park.

Screening (if provided) which is well maintained.

Caravans which are clean and well maintained.

Where every care has been taken and caravan holiday homes have been cleaned at the beginning of the season.

The pleasantness and cleanliness of steps.

Negative Aspects:
Storage boxes that are broken, rotting or just in need of painting.

Steps which are not more than breeze blocks with a paving slab on top. 

Metal steps and balconies which are rusty or broken.

Supports under the units should be well presented not just a disorderly pile of breeze blocks.

Paths to and around caravans which are poorly constructed, weedy or badly maintained.

Paving or stone paths which are uneven or misaligned. 

The external appearance of the caravans detracts from the overall impression of the park.

Supports which are rusty or in poor order.

Rusty ''A'' frames or unsightly TV aerials which are attached to caravan holiday homes or seasonal tourers.

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51. Touring pitch layout and spacing

Efforts which have been made to allow some privacy without necessarily making the allocated area claustrophobic and totally enclosed, will be taken into account.

Positive Aspects:
Where individual pitches have been defined with use of walls, hedges or fencing.

Where pitches have been arranged in small groups or with good design to the layout.

Where space allowed makes it easy to turn a touring caravan onto the pitches.

Account will be taken of the space needed for awnings and still have enough room to walk between.

If the brochure or other advertising states that motor homes are accepted, some may be as much as 12 metres plus in length. Are there at least a few pitches which will accommodate these larger units?

Negative Aspects:
Where there are obstacles in the way of caravans trying to pitch up.

Where spacing and layout are such that it may be difficult to prevent the spread of fire.

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52. Caravan holiday home pitch layout and spacing

The amount of space around all sides of the caravan holiday homes will be considered taking into account freedom of movement despite the addition of storage boxes, fences etc. Ideally parking should be available alongside or close by.

Positive Aspects:
Where the layout is imaginative.

Where efforts have been made to screen units from one another in any way. 

Where units are in small cul de sacs or horseshoe layout which will alleviate the problem of looking directly into the next unit. 

When caravan hard standings are well maintained and weed free.

Negative Aspects:
Where the hardstandings are weedy and untidy.

Where there are untidy edges to the bases.

Where ''everything but the kitchen sink'' is stored under the van and looks very untidy.

Weedy, untidy areas, including unused pitches, either for caravan holiday homes or tourers.

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