Caravan and camp sites could offer a lifeline to rural pubs pushed to the brink of closure by covid-19, according to pitchup.com.
The Red Lion, Brinkley. Photograph: pitchup.com
Figures released by the site show that pubs providing even basic outdoor accommodation can earn tens of thousands more each year than those that do not, with little investment or additional workload.
This follows a survey by the Countryside Alliance which revealed six in ten rural pub landlords believe they will go out of business if lockdown restrictions are not sufficiently lifted by the summer.
Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com, said: “The loss of rural pubs strikes at the very heart of the countryside. It is a tragedy for communities as the pub is so often a social hub for local people, and it impacts on other businesses, particularly tourism businesses, as if there is no pub, people are less likely to visit.
“But there are many pubs out there with a spare pocket of land which is under-utilised and can quickly start to generate revenue. Even a small temporary campsite can make a real difference to the bottom line of a rural pub.”
Options for landlords
- A temporary, pop-up camp site, which can be operated for 56 days per year in England for tents without planning permission. Of the 56 days, 28 can be ‘within the curtilage of a building (except listed buildings)’, meaning even beer gardens next to the pub could be used.
- Sign up with an exempt organisation, which will allow you to run a camp site or caravan site, potentially all year round.
- Apply for full planning permission to operate a camping and caravan site all year round.
Pitchup.com collated figures from more than 190 pubs from across the UK with a caravan or
camp site and found they made, on average, around £6,000 more per year than those that didn’t offer accommodation.
However, others made far more than this, with one pub in Somerset taking more than £65,000 over a 12-month period, and others across the South and Midlands taking in excess of £40,000.
Dan added that camping and caravan sites offer a natural extension to pubs as essential facilities are already in place. “Pubs benefit from having toilets, water, and electricity available, so setting up a camp site often requires no investment at all,” he said. “Because of this, it is probably the easiest and quickest way to secure the future of the precious village pub.”
Case study: The Red Lion, Brinkley
One pub that has benefited from a camp site is The Red Lion, in Brinkley, Cambridgeshire, which is situated around 15 minutes from Newmarket. The 450-year-old grade II listed pub, known for its home-cooked food, has a back-to-basics camp site which caters for visitors from near and far.
Owners Morris and Gwyn Fenton said the camp site has a significant impact on the takings of the pub.
“We’ve found 50%-plus of campers spend around £100 in our bar/restaurant, and for a small
country pub that’s significant,” said Morris.
“So, although last year and this have been a challenge, we’re hoping that when we’re able to open up, many more people will choose to holiday in the UK and we’ll benefit from that. We’re planning to just re-invest everything we make from camping for the next few years since it’s spare money really.
“It’s been a great thing to try, and an incredibly enjoyable thing to do for us, personally. We really enjoyed meeting the people that we have stay with us. Everyone that has booked with us through Pitchup says that’s who they use to find somewhere to go.”
• Find out more at pitchup.com/how-start-campsite-caravan-park/.
