Why not give your guests something extra
Why not give your guests something extra with a specially designed play area perfect for all ages and abilities. As a member of The British Holiday and Home Parks Association, we understand how important it is to stand out in such a competitive staycation and leisuremarket, and a Sovereign play area will do just that! Together with construction companies and architects, we work diligently to transform open spaces and dull tarmac areas into exciting environments for everybody to enjoy. Parents will often take into consideration the available facilities when deciding on where to stay, and research shows that families are significantly more likely to visit a site with a playground. Having a safe and secure play area for children to socialise, have fun and stay active will keep families on site for a larger portion of their stay with you and increase your value to customers. If you are unable to find the perfect equipment for your space, we can also work with you to create bespoke and one-of-a-kind items that fit your space and clientele. Why Sovereign? We want to make sure that we create the perfect area for you and your guests which is why we offer a free consultation, design and quote service provided by one our Area Managers who are experts in your local area. To ensure that children can play safely at your site for years to come, all of our main timber components are covered by a 20 year warranty with our metalwork coming with a 25 year warranty. On top of this we are also able to offer our Sovereign Compliance inspection, maintenance and repair packages with our national team of RPII (Register of Play Inspectors International) qualified inspectors to give you and your guests peace of mind. We Think You’ll Love With over 25 years of experience in playground design and manufacturing we have worked with countless caravan parks and have cultivated a popular range of equipment perfect for a holiday park environment: Yosemite https://sovereignplayequipment.co.uk/park-best-sellers/yosemite/?utm_source=caravan+industry+and+park+operator+magazine&utm_medium=online+editorial&utm_campaign=may+2022) The Yosemite is designed to a be a non-linear adventure experience. The bridge takes users from the lower elements up to a 1500mm platform with a slide (stainless steel optional), traversing forest and crazy climber. The different heights allow children to enjoy the tower, no matter how confident they are. Captain Mannering https://sovereignplayequipment.co.uk/outdoor-playground-equipment/playground-towers/captain-mannering-standard?utm_source=caravan+industry+and+park+operator+magazine&utm_medium=online+editorial&utm_campaign=may+2022 The Captain Mannering is one of our most popular products for a reason! Named after a pub local to our Essex headquarters, this tower incorporates four tower units and provides a challenging play environment and inspires endless possibilities for imaginative play. Wooden Goal End https://sovereignplayequipment.co.uk/playground-sports-fitness-equipment/mugas/wooden-goal-end-timber-back/?utm_source=caravan+industry+and+park+operator+magazine&utm_medium=online+editorial&utm_campaign=may+2022 Our wooden goal ends can be used to play traditional games like basketball and football as well as giving your guests the opportunities to use their imaginations to create their own games. A space containing our goal ends can be used by those of all ages and abilities and can create a great social space for your guests to socialise and play together. Republican Bench and Table Set https://sovereignplayequipment.co.uk/school-outdoor-furniture/republican-table-bench-set/?utm_source=caravan+industry+and+park+operator+magazine&utm_medium=online+editorial&utm_campaign=may+2022 The Republican Bench and Table Set is designed with commercial areas in mind. Built with our robust planed and pressure treated timber, this set is perfect for high traffic areas and a great edition to beer gardens and outdoor seating areas. Contact Sovereign Telephone: 01702 804299 Email: info@sovereignplay.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SovereignPlayEquipment Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sovereign_Play LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sovereign-design-play-systems-ltd YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7yZ0l9HkEXLgDJrWUJzWIg
Winterise your Outdoors
If you are planning to maximise your business into autumn, winter, and early spring here’s some top tips on optimising your outdoors for guests. Clean and well-maintained outdoor furniture. If your furniture is broken or covered in algae, customers will judge the standards of the park on this. Look for quality wooden furniture to withstand the wear and tear of heavy use. Or choose metal/plastic and laminate furniture that is easy to wipe down and dry off. Woodberry offers a range of picnic tables, outdoor dining tables and chairs and benches in wood, metal, plastic and synthetic rattan. Recycled Plastic Picnic Tables are very easy to keep looking neat and come with 25-year structural guarantees as well as green credentials. Maximise the usability of outdoor space Outdoor shelters, patio heaters, and lighting certainly helps to maximise the useability of outdoor spaces in wet and cold weather. It also makes it attractive to encourage customers to enjoy al fresco hospitality. Electric and Gas Patio Heaters can efficiently heat an area between 6 – 20 square metres, depending on the size of the heater. Woodberry is currently offering Winter Gazebo Packages which include Weatherproof Gazebos or Dining Cabins, Wall Mounted Electric Patio Heater, Outdoor Festoon Lights and canvas sides or blinds. Weatherproof flooring – Decking and Paving For winter, if your space allows, move outdoor furniture onto hard standing ground and give the grass a rest. This will be more attractive to customers and work harder for your hospitality. Woodberry offers Millboard Decking which is made from polyurethane. This is hand-molded from natural timber and has all the look of real wood but with none of the drawbacks. It is moisture, algae and rot resistant with high anti-slip ratings. Make a feature of your Outdoors Many hospitality venues are now making a feature of their outdoor areas with themed Dining Cabins and Gazebos. These provide a focal point for your outdoors or could even become pre-bookable private party areas. Dining Cabins can be painted in pastel or vibrant colours to look like beach huts or cabanas. These all prove great for marketing purposes as customers are keen to share their experiences on social media. Get in touch with the Woodberry team to talk through an ideas or for a free site survey. To find out more visit www.woodberry.co.uk/holidayparks Or call the team for a chat on 01926 889922 —————————
Addressing the Loan Charge with a Judicial Review
Introduced in the Finance Act 2016, the Loan Charge is a tax charge on any outstanding loans deriving from the use of disguised remuneration (DR) schemes. DR schemes usually involved the remuneration of individuals (directors/shareholders or their family members) through third party loans or payments, which were then unlikely to be repaid. Designed as tax avoidance schemes, any such loans taken after 5 April 1999 and not repaid by 5 April 2019 were treated as taxable income retroactively – a decision met with anger by taxpayers and tax specialists alike. Despite public backlash, HMRC remained firm and outlined that affected taxpayers must repay outstanding loans in full or agree settlement terms with HMRC, if they wanted to avoid the Loan Charge. If neither options was taken, then taxpayers were advised by HMRC to report and pay the Loan Charge. Consequences of the Loan Charge review Following mounting pressure, the Chancellor commissioned a review into the Loan Charge to consider if the policy was an appropriate way of dealing with DR loan schemes. Led by Sir Amyas Morse, the review was completed at the end of last year, and recommended the following: The Loan Charge should not apply to loans entered into before 9 December 2010: Unprotected Years arising from loans entered into on or after 9 December 2010, where the taxpayer had made reasonable disclosure of their scheme usage to HMRC and HMRC did not open an investigation, should be out of scope of the Loan Charge HMRC should refund the Voluntary Restitution elements of settlements made since 2016 that were paid to settle Unprotected Years when the relevant loans were entered fell into one of the recommendations above. Once the recommendations were approved by the government, draft legislation was implemented in late January 2020. Subsequently, the Finance Bill was passed and the HMRC published related guidance on the same day. Whilst the Finance Act 2020 deals with circumstances where settlements have been agreed with HMRC for loans no longer “caught” by the Loan Charge, it does not address situations where individuals have taken steps to repay outstanding loans in reliance on HMRC’s guidance and in fear of the Loan Charge. Judicial Review Allowing the courts to examine decisions made by public bodies, like HMRC, Judicial Review ensures those in positions of trust are acting lawfully. On the application of a party with sufficient interest in the case, the court will conduct a review of the process which HMRC followed to reach its decision and assess whether or not that decision was validly made. There are four grounds on which a Judicial Review can be pursued, including illegality, irrationality, procedural unfairness and legitimate expectation. After complying with the pre-action protocol for Judicial Review, the taxpayer may be forced to issue proceedings. The claim form must be issued no later than three months after the relevant decision and accompanied by various documents. The Court will then consider and assess the Judicial Review and decide whether to permit or refuse the claim. Proceed with caution… Some taxpayers have benefited from the Review and amendments made to the legislation by the Finance Act 2020. However, those who have repaid their DR loans following HMRC’s guidance will feel they have not been protected. For those taxpayers who followed the process outlined by HMRC, they now find themselves in a worse position, with vital funds stuck in their trust, with fees accruing. With any method of extraction resulting in further tax liabilities, Wright Hassall’s Judicial Review is in place to challenge HMRC’s current position and address ongoing issues.
Victory Leisure Homes Chief Executive stands down after 11 years at the helm
Caravan industry stalwart Peter Nevitt has stepped down as Chief Executive of Victory Leisure Homes after 11 years at the helm. Peter, who’s career in the industry spans 45 years, has led the company since its launch in 2009. His role will be taken over by James Doyle, main board director at Victory’s parent company, J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd. Mr Doyle has had overall main board responsibility for the manufacturer for the past two years. He said: “Victory Leisure Homes launched amid the chaos of the 2008/2009 financial crisis, a difficult time for everyone in business, but Peter didn’t let that phase him; he led from the front and never looked back. “We’re extremely grateful for all the energy and hard work he has put into creating the business and the Victory brand, and the new senior team are looking forward to building on those solid foundations.” Peter said he had had a fantastic time building the company, but felt the time was right to step down. He said: “I’ve had 11 wonderful years at Victory Leisure and enjoyed every minute. I’m proud of what we have achieved and what we have built in what is a relatively short period of time. “I know the company will go from strength to strength with a strong management team, great products and the backing of a well-funded, family business.” Mr Doyle added Peter would be missed around the Gilberdyke factory. “Peter’s experience and advice has been invaluable in building the company,” he said. “We’d like to say a huge thank you for all of his efforts and we wish him well in the future.”
Survey show campers expectations for summer ahead, but lack of government advice worries site owners
With the camping industry lacking clear guidelines on how to open safely for the summer, a survey of 7,000 people has shined a light on campers expectations for the months ahead. Conducted by camping and glamping specialist Campsites.co.uk (https://www.campsites.co.uk/resources/coronavirus-survey-results), the study finds that 91% of people say they think tourism should be opened up by the beginning of July, and details the raft of changes they believe sites must make to keep guests safe. Demand for travel is high In a sign of people’s eagerness to get away, 43% of those polled say campsites should open before July. This isn’t just the view of frustrated millennials and stressed out parents. 42% of respondents aged 65 and over said the same. Encouragingly for business owners, people are warming to the idea of buying holidays again. Just over a quarter (27%) of respondents say they are ready to book now, 23% will book a few weeks ahead before they travel, and 28% plan to book within a week of departing. Only 17% say they are definitely not ready to book. Customers expect campsites to change There are huge levels of interest in camping for the summer ahead, but the majority of those polled expect campsites to reduce pitches to manage social distancing, 53% think campsites should close one in four of their pitches 23% expect sites to cut the number of pitches by half Reducing pitches is just one of the steps guests want campsites to take. Among the most popular measures suggested are, More regular and enhanced cleaning (77%) Installing hand sanitiser stations (75%) Setting policies about onsite etiquette (72%) Pre-allocating pitches and ensuring they are set well apart (67%) Offering a contactless check-in and check-out (66%) Providing advice before arrival (47%) Moving receptions outdoors, or giving guests a mobile number to text (43%) Adding floor markings to help with social distancing (42%) Travellers are likely to shun many of the usual shared facilities, saying they won’t use swimming pools (62%), indoor soft play (79%), games rooms (72%) and outdoor adventure playgrounds (61%) even if they are available. However, 85% expect showers to be open and almost 70% of tent and camper van guests would use them if available. 45% of respondents want sites to allocate shower and toilet facilities to guests or sets of guests. Martin Smith, founder of Campsites.co.uk, says this is an example of the challenges facing the industry for the season ahead: “Campsite owners need the Government to publish clear advice in the same way it has for other sectors, such as offices and retail. “Much of the advice that has come out so far has been geared towards holiday parks and touring sites where caravan accommodation is self contained. But the situation for tents and glamping, where shared facilities are essential, is much less clear. “Shower blocks is a good example of the uncertainty facing campsite owners. Customers expect them to be open, but campsites don’t know if it is safe. They need help to be sure. “Campsite owners tell us that they may need to close their tent pitches and focus solely on touring which, for many, will make a bad year even worse. “There is clearly demand from customers who are ready and willing to travel, but the campsite industry needs clear advice so they can open up safely and confidently. “Visit Britain has talked about introducing a Kitemark to help accommodation owners prove they are adhering to the highest COVID-19 safety standards. That sort of advice is needed urgently if campsites are to have time to put the recommendations in place for the start of summer.” Despite their concern for using many shared facilities, more than 60% of those surveyed say they will be happy to use onsite cafés and restaurants, and over 90% will go to the campsite shop. The survey suggests campsite owners face a difficult decision over whether to raise prices to try and offset their losses for the year so far. When asked if they would be happy to pay a surcharge to help cover the campsite’s additional costs, 24% said yes and 27% said no, with 49% undecided. The research is available to all campsite owners for free at Campsites.co.uk, https://www.campsites.co.uk/resources/coronavirus-survey-results
Michael Paul Holidays acquires Caravan Sitefinder
Online booking channel Michael Paul Holidays has acquired Caravan Sitefinder from Tribalogic. The deal, which closed last week for an undisclosed sum, has served to create the UK’s largest independent database of caravan and holiday park operators, as well as creating what is soon to be the single biggest booking channel in the UK for these type of holidays. Caravan Sitefinder has provided an online directory and review platform of UK campsites and caravan parks since the 1990’s and has established itself as the premier listing site for the industry. The caravan specialist website secures more than 750,000 unique website users per annum and lists more than 6,000 parks across the country, but until now has had limited adoption for online bookings via the site. The Michael Paul Holidays and Caravan Sitefinder brands align perfectly, sharing similar audiences as well as clients. This acquisition enables both brands to accelerate their growth: supporting Caravan Sitefinder with the opportunity to provide a better online booking experience, whilst expanding the B2B and B2C client databases for Michael Paul Holidays. Michael Paul, CEO of Michael Paul Holidays said, “This acquisition is a game changer for the industry. End users can now benefit from our years of experience of online bookings alongside the online reviews and large database from the CSF brand.” The founding team at Tribalogic Limited, who have relinquished control of the Caravan Sitefinder website, will use the acquisition as an opportunity to concentrate on developing their holiday park rental PMS – Bookster.
NCC Benevolent Fund launches helpline for mental health and wellbeing
NCC Benevolent Fund launches ground-breaking helpline for mental health and wellbeing The NCC Benevolent Fund, the caravan industry’s dedicated charity, is pleased to announce the launch of its new counselling and information service in partnership with Care first. The service is centred around a helpline which is available, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for counselling support and from 8am – 8pm for general advice and information. The service will allow employees, who work past or present in any sector of the caravan and parks industry, who are facing difficult circumstances, to find the best help and support for their needs. All calls are free and confidential, the helpline is manned by professional counsellors and information specialists. The support on offer ranges from one-off telephone counselling through to referrals for longer term face to face counselling. In addition, the information specialists are trained to deal with a wealth of issues, big and small, such as financial, legal, relationship and housing problems and queries. The helpline is initially running as a trial service, the trial is due to end in December 2020, and if successful, the Fund hopes to roll this out across the industry on a permanent basis. Melanie Day, Benevolent Fund Manager says “We are really excited to trial this new service, with over 15 million work days in the UK lost to mental health issues each year, we know that a free and confidential support service will ensure that our workforce are fit for life and for work. Our ambition is that with the right support we can help colleagues across the industry to thrive” The Fund has limited space on the trial but is keen for companies to register their interest to take advantage of the service during the trial period. The service is free (to both employer and employee), all that the Fund asks is that you promote the service to your employees. It’s easy to join just visit www.nccbenevolentfund.org.uk/helpline or email info@nccbf.org.uk
Time flies as Richard clocks up 20 years’ service with Salop Leisure
Service foreman Richard Morris has clocked up 20 years’ service to award-winning caravan and motorhome company Salop Leisure in Shrewsbury. He says he can’t believe how fast the 20 years have flown by and is looking forward to continuing to work for the Emstrey-based leisure business. “ Salop Leisure is a good employer that has looked after me since I joined the company and, more than anything else, they provide job security, ” said Richard, who was 24 when he moved from a Cannock business to become a service engineer. The company was based at Meole Brace in Shrewsbury at the time and he became the fourth member of the service team, which had a four-bay workshop. Fast forward 20 years and the business now has 14 staff and a modern, 15-bay workshop where Richard and his workmates service and repair touring caravans and motorhomes. Richard is proud to have been part of Salop Leisure’s successful growth story and says part of his job satisfaction is that no two days are the same. As for the biggest change in his job over the last 20 years, she said: “The introduction of digital technology within the industry which shows that we are moving with the times.” www.salopleisure.co.uk
Lakeview Manor lodge park and hotel sold
A Devon lodge park and hotel, Lakeview Manor, has been acquired by private equity-backed holiday operator Lakeshore Leisure Group Ltd in a deal brokered by Colliers International. Lakeview Manor, in the Blackdown Hills Area of Natural Beauty, near Honiton, had been on the market for £1.8 million. The purchase price has not been disclosed. The private vendor of Lakeview Manor was represented by two teams in the South West office of global real estate advisor Colliers International: the Caravan Parks team, and the Hotels team. Ed Jefferson, from the Hotels team, said: Lakeview Manor is an excellent wedding venue and hotel in its own right. Coupled with its private fishing lakes and lodge park it attracted significant interest. This instruction was an excellent example of two Colliers departments pooling knowledge for a clients benefit. Ben Jones, director in the Caravan Parks team, said: Lakeview Manor is a fine leisure business, which is operating successfully and offers fantastic scope for expansion. This the second time within a matter of months that weve secured the sale of a holiday lodge park in Devon to Lakeshore Leisure Group, and this very much reflects the strong market for lodge parks in general and their growth opportunities as relative newcomers to the sector, albeit with very experienced senior leadership teams. Last year was our most successful yet in terms of deals for the Caravan Parks team at Colliers International – both in the South West office and nationally – and all the signs are that that this trend will continue. The market for lodge parks showed no signs of being affected by Brexit uncertainty last year, and we are looking forward to a period of greater certainty now that the UKs position is clear. Trading conditions continue to favour lodge park businesses, particularly because of the relative weakness of the pound and the continuing popularity of so-called staycations. It is also notable that lodge parks are successfully extending their appeal to customers by investing in a much-improved offer with premium accommodation and facilities, and by appealing to specialist interests such as fishing breaks. Lakeshore Leisure Group is very much at the vanguard of this as indicated by the improvements made to their sister site Otter Falls since taking ownership in mid-2019. The vendor of Lakeview Manor was represented by solicitors Steele Raymond LLP. Chris Twaits, Partner and Head of Commercial Property at Steele Raymond LLP said: Members of our team have been involved with the Lakeview Manor business from original purchase right through to the sale to Lakeshore Leisure Group, so this has been a particularly satisfying transaction. Lakeview Manor is set in 31 acres of gardens, woodlands and paddocks, and has three fishing lakes. It currently comprises 18 developed holiday lodge pitches, and a 17-bedroom hotel and events venue, and there is planning permission for a further 18 twin-unit holiday lodges.
