Wilts DA

 

General Guidance for Stewards.

​

The Club is permitted to arrange Five Day Meets (Meets) and Temporary Holiday Sites (THS) throughout the country without the need to obtain a site license normally required by planning legislation. It is so entitled because it holds a ‘Certificate of Exemption’ as described in the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960.

 

The following guidance is issued by the Exempted Camping Committee to assist Regions, District Associations and Sections in the stewarding of Meets and THSs (events) organised for use by members.

 

For the duration of the event, a named person, the Steward, is to be responsible overall for the conduct and safety of every event. It is essential that each event Steward be provided with a copy of this guidance. The Steward must also hold a valid copy of the Club’s Certificate of Exemption for display and inspection during the event. Valid copies are distributed to Club units annually and are available from the Exempted Camping Department, or via the Downloads Area of the Exempted Camping Database.

 

Campers must not arrive prior to, or leave after, the advertised start and end dates, and must not occupy the site in the absence of a properly appointed Steward. To do so is often a source of conflict with the landowner and is outside the provisions of the Club’s exemptions under which the events are held.

 

Proof of Club membership must be shown by all participating members at all camping events. Members’ camping units may not be left unoccupied overnight, except in exceptional circumstances, at any Meet or THS organised under the Club’s exemptions to the 1960 Act.

 

 

Important Points for Temporary Holiday Site Stewards

 

1. Stewards of THSs should be provided with a supply of Membership application forms and a Members Guest Book prior to the event start date. Both should be obtained from the organising Club unit Secretary.

 

2. Members may accommodate guests (non-members) in their unit/pitch on payment of £3.50 (inc. VAT) per adult for the duration of their stay. The use of a small dome/ridge tent would be acceptable providing the use is for sleeping purposes only. The tent must be contained within the footprint of the pitch that has been allocated or permitted to the camping member, and is subject to the adherence of the Club’s six metre rule. Please refer to Paragraph 13 regarding cooking appliances within these units. The Guest fee is not required for Children under the age of 18. A Member’s Guest Book ticket should be issued for the duration of the stay at the event and is not transferable to another Temporary Holiday Site.

 

3. A non-member cannot stay at a THS with their own unit. To do so, they must enrol as a full member, and may join the Club at the THS, on completion of a Membership application form and payment of the relevant subscription, prior to pitching.

 

4. Overseas holders of a Camping Card International may camp at THSs, without the requirement of attending with a full Club member. This does not apply to UK based holders of a Camping Card International, who are still required to become a full Club member to attend THSs in their own unit. Important Points for Meet Stewards

 

5. Attendance at Five Day Meets is available to all Club members, regardless of the organising Club unit. Camping fees at Meets should be the same for all Club members, and differential pricing for non-members of an organising Region, District Association or Section is not permitted.

 

6. Guest and non-members are not permitted to camp overnight at Meets organised under the Club’s exemptions to the 1960 Act. Day visitors however, are acceptable unless otherwise stated by the organising unit. General Guidance for Event Stewards

 

7. A site sign should be displayed at the entrance of all camping events. Signs for both Meets and Temporary Holiday Sites are available free of charge from the Exempted Camping Department on 024 7647 5198 or exemptions@thefriendlyclub.co.uk

 

8. As the person responsible for safety at the event, the Steward should ensure that any obvious dangers are highlighted to campers, and that the rules and best practice set out in this Green Paper are observed throughout the event.

​

Regular assessments of the site must be conducted to ensure members’ compliance with Club rules and best practice to reduce the possibility of injury and/or damage to campers and their camping units.

 

Prior to an event’s start date, the Steward must conduct an assessment of the site to ensure that it is suitable and safe to welcome campers. If in the unfortunate circumstances that the Steward feels that the site is unsafe and/or not in a condition to receive campers without potentially causing damage/injury, the Steward should consider cancelling the event and informing the appropriate event organiser, if appropriate the landowner and the Exempted Camping Department.

 

The following must be monitored and in place throughout the event:

• Camping area is suitable for the arrival of camping units  

• Obvious hazards onsite are removed or sectioned off

• Onsite vehicle speed limits are adhered to (see paragraph 10)

• Control and direct campers entering/leaving the campsite.

• Units are positioned correctly (see paragraph 10)

• 6 metre fire safety gap is maintained at all times (see paragraph 11)

• The correct use of BBQs (see paragraph 16)

• Ensure that footpaths/walkways are kept clear at all times

• No vehicle movement between the hours of 11pm-7am (see paragraph 10)

• Dogs on leads at all times (see paragraph 24)

• The restriction of leisure equipment such as, airguns, drones, catapults etc. (see paragraph 26)

 

9. Stewards must not retain membership cards from campers during the period of their stay. Stewards may only ask for access to the Membership card to validate and record the membership number.

 

10. All vehicles must be restricted to 5 mph on the event field, and learner drivers are not allowed. Vehicle movement between 11pm and 7am is not permitted, unless in exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the Steward. Vehicles must be parked at right angles to any slope.

 

11. Excluding guy ropes, units must be at least six metres apart from adjacent units. This is a precaution against fire. Vehicles may be parked between units, provided that a three metre clear space is left within the six metre gap at all times.

 

12. Children’s pup tents can be classed as an integral part of a unit, in the same way as an awning, when they are occupied by children 17 years of age or under, and included in the household membership. Please refer to Paragraph 13 regarding cooking appliances within these units.

 

13. The use of appliances with a naked flame or with the intention of being used for cooking purposes, are strictly forbidden within children’s pup tents and/or additional separated sleeping annexes.

 

14. Stewards may instruct campers to take down their awnings, gazebos and windbreaks on safety grounds, should it be deemed necessary.

 

15. Open fires are not generally allowed, except with the permission of the Steward and landowner, and in a mutually agreed location

 

16. The use of barbeques should also be agreed with the Steward and be sited well away from tents, awnings and other units. Stewards should be aware of the potential danger to campers of carbon monoxide poisoning. The use of gas, petrol or charcoal barbeques within awnings or tents is not permitted due to the fire risk and danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. Should a Steward witness member’s barbequing within a poorly ventilated area, the Steward may instruct the campers to cease the operation of the BBQ or oversee its relocation to a suitable area.

 

17. It is strongly recommended that all units carry a suitable BS/EN3 approved fire extinguisher or fire blanket, and that everyone should be aware of how to use the one they have. It is strongly recommended that a bucket of water should be placed outside each camping unit, as a necessary near-to-hand firefighting tool. It is also recommended that at least one extinguisher of AFFF 6 litre, or one 3kg dry powder extinguisher, is provided for use by the Steward of the event.

 

18. The use of gas cylinders, with a capacity greater than 15kg, are not permitted at Club events for supplying touring caravans, motorhomes or tents.

 

19. The use of gas cylinders to supply a camping unit via an external barbeque supply point is not permitted.

 

20. It is also advisable that each unit should have a first aid kit.

 

21. Where a site is selected that has a history or likelihood of members needing to move their units because of rising flood water, a flood plan should be in place and communicated to all participants on arrival at the event.

 

22. The use of Sky Lanterns or similar is not permitted onsite. General Behaviour

 

23. Respect should be shown to the landowner’s property, particularly trees, fences, buildings, equipment and stock.

 

24. Dogs and other pets must be kept under control at all times. No animal is allowed to be loose on the site, and must always be on a lead not more than two metres long, if outside a unit.

 

25. The Steward may instruct any camper to remove their pet from the site if, in his or her opinion, it creates a nuisance.

​

26. It is forbidden to fly kites or model aircraft, including Drones at events. The use of catapults, airguns, firearms, bows and arrows or similar equipment is also not permitted. Ball games and bubble generating toys/equipment/machines are acceptable only with permission of the Steward on an open space away from units.

 

27. Each pitch must be left clear of litter at the end of the event and a careful check should be made, before leaving the field, that no litter has been left behind.

 

28. Noise should be kept at a minimum from radios, televisions and other sources, such as generators, and there should be no noise whatsoever between 11pm and 7am, except as defined in paragraph

 

29 of this Green Paper. 29. Campers may only use generators with the Steward’s permission. If a Steward considers the use of a generator to be causing a nuisance, then he or she may ask the camper to stop using the generator or leave the site. In circumstances where a camper requires the operation of a generator during the night for medical purposes, this should be accommodated in such a way to prevent disturbance of other campers.

 

30. The Club considers the use of e-cigarettes the same as cigarettes and as such, all legal requirements should be adhered to in their use during a camping event.

 

31. When the camping ground is wet, cars may only be driven on the event field at the Stewards discretion, to prevent damage to the ground.

 

Waste Water / Grey Water

 

32. The arrangements made for the disposal of waste water must be agreed with the landowner and must take full account of the need to safeguard water supplies and to prevent pollution of rivers and streams.

 

33. The Steward is asked to give special consideration to waste water disposal point requirements at the time of the initial site survey. They should bear in mind that the disposal point should not be sited:

 

a. Adjacent to a brook, spring, stream or river

 

b. Adjacent to a well, borehole or adit

 

c. In a gathering ground area for water supply purposes, unless authorised

 

d. In the same area more than once in the season

 

e. Potential sites, with a gathering ground as outlined in subsection ‘c’, should be avoided unless arrangements have been made with the River Authority. If a Region, DA or Section is particularly anxious to utilise such areas, the appropriate River Authority should be consulted as early as possible in every case, and its advice sought concerning waste water disposal methods.

​

34. Members must collect waste water in a receptacle, and should not allow it to overflow and foul the ground.

 

Chemically Treated Sewage / Black Water

 

35. The contents of chemical toilets must not be disposed of on the event site except into the disposal point agreed with the landowner.

 

36. A disposal point should be a septic tank, CDP holding tank, mains sewage or a dug hole which must be lined and pumped out as necessary. Holes should be filled with the excavated earth at the conclusion of the event and, where possible, the disturbed turf replaced.

 

37. The arrangements made for the disposal of chemically treated sewage must take full account of the need to safeguard water supplies and to prevent pollution of rivers and streams.

 

38. There must be a clear differentiation between drinking water taps and water supplied for cleansing chemical toilet cassettes. The two uses must never overlap. Chemical toilet cassettes must not be cleaned or charged at drinking water taps.

 

39. It is recommended that event participants, who use their own chemical toilets, ensure that they are properly charged with one of the biologically based toilet fluids.

 

Refuse / Dry Waste

 

40. Members attending Meets must take their refuse home with them if receptacles are not provided. Refuse receptacles must be provided at THSs and members should not be expected to take their dry-waste away with them.

 

41. At events where refuse is to be collected, refuse receptacles should be used and the subsequent disposal of the contents should be agreed with the landowner. In particular, the Steward is asked to ensure that:

 

a. The landowner undertakes the proper disposal of the refuse, or

 

b. The Local Authority is requested to collect the refuse, or

 

c. Where an independent contractor is engaged, they must be a licensed carrier. Licenses must be inspected by the organiser each time a contractor is engaged.

 

d. Refuse should never be emptied into the chemical disposal point. Vehicle Maintenance

 

42. Essential repairs to vehicles may be carried out so that an unserviceable vehicle can leave the site, but maintenance and servicing are not permitted.

​

Stewards may use discretion to allow vehicle and unit washing, provided it can be done discreetly, away from campable ground and with suitable drainage.

​

Trading

 

43. Trading is not permitted at Meets or THSs, unless authorised by the Steward. Touting and commercial advertising are forbidden. Campers must not advertise services or goods for sale at events, except with the permission of the Steward. Notices may not be displayed on a unit, advertising anything whatsoever. A firm’s car or van, which has the firm’s name and description on the sides, is acceptable.

 

Road Safety

 

44. Consideration of local road conditions needs to be taken when organising vehicle movement on and off the site.

 

45. When welcoming a large number of arrivals onsite, Stewards may wish to consider advising campers to pitch their unit prior to registering to ensure that units are not causing obstruction on the main road.

 

Youth Lines Camping

 

46. Youth members aged 18-21 must not be permitted to camp in the same designated area as CCY members aged 17 or under. A Club unit may choose to locate CCY members aged 18-21 within the main camping area, or in their own designated separate location, but there must be a clear boundary between the Youth Lines Camping (aged 17 and under) and all other campers.