South Lakeland Parks (SLP) Forum

I got a letter today from Peter Watson, sales manager at FB giving some details of the new lodge development called Beech Hill (for anybody who knows Wigan where I am from Beech Hill is one of less salubrious areas of the town).

Some of the lodges would seem to have partial lake views from looking at the plan so the pricing will be interesting to say the least.

What are peoples thoughts on yet more lodges on FB?

I think additional lodges will add to the parks value, it will be interesting to see if they sell in todays climate, its a pity they dont upgrade the existing individual electric supplies to existing lodges whilst the park is shut as the current 20 amp or so supply is crap!

Hopefully more income on the fees from these lodges compared to caravans will help reduce or freeze existing fees moving forward?

I'm glad you've asked..... in a post which I mistakingly submitted to the General Comments section I added the following comment that.....

... in view of the newest lodge development which appears to be underway and will take away the open green space and children's play area at Fallbarrow Park - I did add in my comments box that whilst Lodges are lovely and they look great it would be, in my opinion, a huge mistake to development further the remaining open green spaces around Fallbarrow Hall as this I feel would then choke the park of it's 'Park' environment and only remaining breathing space. I have to add that SLP may not have any such plans for now or for the future, but I wanted to make that point just in case they do!!

Interesting that you think that some may have partial lake views, I can't visualise that but we'll see, there are a couple on Redwood that have lake views in their description but wouldn't go crazy about what they can see, as has Ash Trees Lane where you have to be very very very very tall to see any glimpse of water.

ps: Borolodgeowner - Re: Electric Power Supply Upgrade - I thought that was what they were doing now, they had already dug up trenches across the park by the time we packed up and left on 14 Jan, and to my understanding those trenches are for that exact purpose. I hope so anyway as my guests are often left in the dark to fend for themselves without a torch (used to leave a torch for them for such occasions, but it 'walked' so haven't left one since!!).

I was there on Saturday shutting down our lodge on Redwood, the new supplies appear to be for the new development, the cable suuplying our lodge is probably capable of carrying 30 amp maximum so therefore this would need to be changed to have any effect on our lodge capacity and i'm sure thats the case with all the rest.Looks like investing in a kettle over the oven may be a safer option to keep the loading down!!!

I agree with you that it is important that the open spaces are preserved especially kids play area and the grass down to the dog walk, lets hope any developments keep this in mind as at the moment it does have a sense of space around the lake edges.

Ps/ went for dinner in the old england hotel on Friday night and can honestly say its some of the best food I have ever tasted.

Not sure about this as I am not an electrician but I think there are two issues here. One is the power supply infrastructure to the unit which is being upgraded as we speak, and then there is the box thingy on the side of the unit. I have posted previously that the box thingy is only a 20 amp supply and suspected that they were caravan box thingies (never denied by SLP). I have been told, but not sure if true, that a lodge should have a minimum 60 amp box thingy and ideally 100 amp box thingy. It would be good if anybody who is an electrician can check this out.

If we should have 60 to 100 amp box thingies, then we should push SLP hard to get them, just need the facts to pursue the case.

FB

I actually run a large electrical contracting business and therefore do have a bit of knowledge with this issue. I was concerned about the piss poor supply into the lodge as the lodges clearly have equipment in them such as electrical appliances, fire etc that by design demand at least a 60 amp supply. The consumer unit on the external and internal of the lodges is designed to take upto 60-80amp but the cable actually coming underfloor into the plot is undersize especially where these cables run for any significant length from there point of suuply, these cables would need to be replaced in some if not all cases to get any serious uplift in amperage.

A 20 amp(5kw) supply would easily be exceeded when you bear in mind, lights 1kw, kettle 3kw, a single white good 3kw, other plug in appliances!!

Its a bit like having a 100 watt bulb but only supplying it with enough electric to be less than half lit, whats the point?

Personally I think a 40 amp supply would be sufficient with a bit of sensible useage and housekeeping but I feel it would be an expensive exercise, unless that is what they are doing??

Boro lodge owner wrote:I actually run a large electrical contracting business and therefore do have a bit of knowledge with this issue. I was concerned about the piss poor supply into the lodge as the lodges clearly have equipment in them such as electrical appliances, fire etc that by design demand at least a 60 amp supply. The consumer unit on the external and internal of the lodges is designed to take upto 60-80amp but the cable actually coming underfloor into the plot is undersize especially where these cables run for any significant length from there point of suuply, these cables would need to be replaced in some if not all cases to get any serious uplift in amperage.

A 20 amp(5kw) supply would easily be exceeded when you bear in mind, lights 1kw, kettle 3kw, a single white good 3kw, other plug in appliances!!

Its a bit like having a 100 watt bulb but only supplying it with enough electric to be less than half lit, whats the point?

Personally I think a 40 amp supply would be sufficient with a bit of sensible useage and housekeeping but I feel it would be an expensive exercise, unless that is what they are doing??

Can you pm/e-mail me off line. It would be good if you could actually do some kind of written assessment of the power supply. SLP are obliged under the T&C's of the site licence issued by the local Council to provide a supply that is for for purpose. I could then take it up with SLP direct.

FB

That made sense to me (as a non electrical type). I will also make the point with the Reservations Manager as I have already discussed the problem with her with respect of subletting and that it can not be expected to ask paying guests to put up with winter blackouts; lighting around us is limited so a blackout is exactly that.

What is more, we have to install yet another appliance in to our lodge, before our first guests of the new season, as criteria to be kept in the top category - we have to have a television in the master bedroom. So although this won't take much power, it is on top the current load.

Boro's point about being careful is, yes, right BUT holiday makers are, generally, not so. They have paid they tarrif and they use it !!!! Very often we go in after our guests and find that the heating control is set to the permanently on position so to ask them to turn off the halogen lights, the fire and so on isn't an option. When I last spoke to her way back in 2008 I was advised to go back to the park manager, which I did, and I understood him to be upgrading the power supply in the near future - I assumed that's what the current digging of trenches were for. However, if this is not the case then count me in if you need another name on your paperwork as the situation as it has been is totally unacceptable.

What we need here is facts from somebody with knowledge.

Given the facts, I am sure we can make a good case to get this sorted.

You are right ASH, if you have paying guests it is not acceptable to have a dodgy unreliable power supply, if fact as an owner it is not acceptable either.

FB

It will be difficult to do an accurate assessment of current cable sizes etc/ without being there, I have requested an electrical installation certificate on repeated occassions which legally has to show cable sizes internal and supply cables but surprisingly nothing has appeared, for people renting out lodges and having a 'landlord' role a current electrical certificate is a health and safety requirement!

Using your argument for fit for purpose then in that case I would make the assumption from far that the supply should be upgraded, again we havent suffered a problem but then again I dont have paying guests who generally expect to be able to use anything thats there at anytime.

To be honest I was dissapointed to see more lodges being sited on FB especially at this frontal location which I thought had been set aside by FB as a wildlife/ conservation area.
More lodges will change the feel of the park, I did look at a number of other sites both in Wales and Cumbria as part of the buying a holiday home decision process and I was put off some of the other sites because they simply packed in units very close together to gain maximum income. I chose FB for a number of reasons i.e closeness to Bowness and lakeside, the inherrant park feel and open spaces particularly at this frontal area and around FB hall and the generally nice people on the park. So I am dissapointed in a way that this development is going on. Will Beech Hill be the end ? I doubt it as the front of FB hall looks ripe for further lodges.
How will this effect existing owners ?
I doubt if increased revenue for SLP through sales of new lodges and an additional number of site fees will mean a reduction in individual site fees. I also feel that due to a greater number of lodges on site that resale values will drop and possibly rental values will drop. I wonder what the SLP 5 year development plan is for FB.
Re the discussion on electric supplies, what was the conclusion. Will we all be getting an improved supply up to 60 amp and the new cabling to facilitate this.I certainly hope so because my fridge freezer is very temporamental and finds it difficult to keep things continually frozen, I had put this down to the poor existing 20 amp supply.
Finally on a positive note we spent New Years Eve at FB with a meal in town and then rounded of with a very pleasant couple of hours at the Boathouse, FB staff and entertainment very good, even a free buffet and fireworks laid on though because we had eaten out we didnt have the buffet but it was available and a very nice gesture by FB.
I hope weather is better this coming season ( cant be worse than last ) and we are looking forward to more regular visits to FB.

Good post Across

I must admit to mixed feelings about the new lodge development. I feel that more lodges and less SLP rental caravans is positive. And apart from the Cherry Tree Lane development, all new units have been lodges in recent years. However, this does seem to be he first new development that is encroaching on open green space as opposed to replacing existing units. Time will tell if development has a serious detrimental impact on the environmental aspects of Fallbarrow.

Time will also tell what impact the development will have on resale values and rentals.

FB