Dear Customer
First and
foremost Sally and I hope that you, your family and close friends are all well
and have escaped the dreadful pandemic gripping our country. It has been a testing time for all of us and
our daily lives have changed beyond our wildest dreams. Our lifestyles are so
far distant than any of us could have ever imagined 2 months ago! That said, it is amazing to witness how the
British people have come together in a time of crisis and helped others in
need. It makes me very proud to be
British.
We have been
affected like everyone else in the country.
We should have opened the Park on Friday 27th March but on the 23rd
March the government advised us to keep our Park closed to the public in the
interest of public health. Our gate has
remained closed since then. The
financial damage to our business is huge and unfortunately the grass and hedges
keep growing and the ongoing list of essential maintenance seems never ending. We are however proud to say that the Park is
looking amazing and we are certainly ready for when we can open the gate and
allow you to visit again.
We like you
have been following the regular updates in the National media and as the
infection rate slowly declines and the “R” number stays below 1, we hope that
we have at last turned a corner and can look positively to the future.
We are
receiving calls daily to ask when we are likely to open the Park. The answer is quite simply – when it is safe
to do so. Our governing body the BHHPA
are in constant communication with government bodies to ascertain when it may
be safe to open, and more importantly what precautions we will have to
implement in order to respect social distancing.
Our industry
is classified as an “open air hotel” and a lesser risk than a traditional hotel
where it is difficult to maintain social distancing. Our main problem will be to address whatever
precautions are recommended by official bodies and the BHHPA. Your safety is paramount but until we have
formal guidance, we can only assume what we may have to do in order to give you
the best protection whilst visiting our Park.
At the moment
we have been advised that hospitality may be phased back into our daily lives
from the 4th July 2020. This date will
be subject to review and will be very dependent upon how the public have
responded to the current relaxation measures.
As long as the infections levels do not rise, we are hoping that we will
be able to open in early July 2020.
When we do
open we believe that it will be conditional upon social distancing controls
being in place. We have a problem in
that our main shower block is very communal and distancing will be virtually
impossible. Unless we receive advice based
upon strong scientific evidence contradicting this, and confirming that communal
shower blocks are not a risk, we do not see how we can open our shower and
toilet blocks to our customers.
The following
is our suggestions as to how we can effectively address the health risk and
unless new advice and evidence follows, this is our understanding on a way
forward.
As a touring
park, many of our visitors have caravans and motor homes with their on board
facilities within their accommodation.
If we can open the Park in July, it makes total sense to ask customers
who visit the Park after 4th July to use them and we will keep our communal
facilities closed for the time being.
Tents are
slightly more difficult but it is not uncommon for tent customers to have a
portable loo (there are many on the market) and use that. We have three chemical waste and grey water
points around the site for the safe disposal of chemicals. Personal washing will be back to the “bowl
and flannel” concept, but something that could work for some people.
We would
anticipate spreading out tents and units as far as possible but in any event
our license conditions already stipulate that all units must be at least 3 metres
apart – so in this regard we are already compliant.
In order to
protect our staff we will always maintain a safe distance. The reception shop
will be closed (although we can still supply gas and specific stock items upon
request) and a cordoned off area will be constructed to enable checking in at a
distance. Most bookings will be paid in
advance over the telephone but for those extending their stay or have called in
on the off chance of a pitch, a contactless card payment can be made. If over the limit it will be chip and pin but
we will have disinfection measures in place.
For the
obvious reasons, the children’s play area will be out of bounds.
We will remind
customers of their obligations on social distancing should we witness a
relapse. It goes without saying that if
any guest or member in their party becomes unwell, in the interest of other
guests, they must notify a warden immediately and the whole party must leave
the Park to return home where they can see their family doctor.
So if we have
not managed to put you off and you are still planning a visit to Salcombe
Regis, we will be delighted to see you as soon as we are able to open our
gate. The weather has been amazing this
year, the local walks are stunning and the vegetation is so bright and vibrant
that this will be an amazing place for you to get away from home and enjoy the
open countryside we have right on our doorstep.
You can still
book using our online booking system should you wish to reserve your chosen
pitch. We will happily take a provisional
booking and better still, you will not have to pay a deposit until restrictions
have been lifted. If we are not able to open in time for your chosen date, we
can quite easily move it to another date of your choosing.
For our
seasonal and regular customers with bookings already in hand, we wish to thank
you all again most sincerely for your patience and understanding in what has
been a most challenging and frustrating time for all of us. We can assure you that we are just as keen as
you to get you back on the Park but safety is paramount.
As soon as we
receive any further information we will post it on our web site. If you have any specific questions please do
not hesitate to drop us an email and we will come back to you as soon as
possible.
In the
meantime, please keep well and safe and hopefully we will see you all sometime
soon.
Best wishes
Mark &
Sally
contact@salcombe-regis.co.uk