Great news for Caravanners and Campers

BN is now an exempted organisation under the Public Health Act (1936) and the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act (1960), which is great news for all.

British Naturism now holds a certificate (like the ones held by the Caravan Club and the Camping & Caravanning Club) that will enable the organisation to set up sites for caravanning and camping. Not just a rally exemption, this will be a great asset to the development of BN, a service to members and an opportunity for landowners to encourage naturist visitors.

The certificate was granted by the Secretary of State for DEFRA on 2 April, 2008 - Certificate No. 334.(England) – and was enshrined in the British Naturism constitution at the AGM in October of that year. We also hold exemptions that cover Scotland and Wales, covering Caravan rallies, Certificated Sites and Rally Sites, as well as Camping.

It means that BN can now legally set up a campsite on a green-field site without the need to obtain planning permission or a site licence. There are two parts to the exemption:

• Certified sites – these are places that we can use regularly. The site will need to go through a short process to become certified and then can host BN Members in up to 5 vans for up to 28 days. Formal planning permission or a site license is not required. They cannot be sites that hold a site license or are already certified by another organisation.

• Rally sites – these are places that - with the owner’s permission – we can host a rally, with unlimited vans for up to 5 days for BN members only, or up to 28 days with both members and non-members.

We already have a team of 19 volunteers who have taken on the role of Field Officers to inspect sites that we intend to make Certified Sites and/or act as rally marshals - more volunteers are welcome. It would be great if we could get someone from every county in England, Scotland and Wales, since it would cut down on travelling time and provide the local knowledge base.

As the leader of BN’s Caravan & Camping Special Interest Group, I have taken on the task of leading this project for BN. I can be contacted by telephone on 01207-233275 or email at info@bn-caravanandcamping.org.uk.

We now have two dedicated email addresses info@bn-caravanandcamping.org.uk for general enquiries and sites@bn-caravanandcamping.org.uk where we hope to deal with enquiries about setting up Certified Sites, plus members’ enquiries about the sites as they become available.

Rally exemptions are available for all members to use. If you wish to hold a rally for up to 5 days duration then contact me with details of your proposals. We can also hold "Holiday Meetings", lasting up to 28 days. Non-members can also attend these meetings. Should you wish to use this exemption we need time to set things up and discuss the proposal.

The above refers to all members, not just to clubs or regional committees. My job is to coordinate these activities, but not to set them up for you. You can contact me at the email addresses listed above.

If you think you know of a piece of land that may be suitable for a site (see below for what makes a good site), we have prepared an information pack and flyer to send to the land-owners. Documents are available at here for download in PDF format or ask me to send you a pack. A club looking to provide facilities for visiting BN members could find this an ideal way of doing so, with little fuss.

We will publish a list of BN’s certified sites on the website and forum, and at www.bn-caravanandcamping.org.uk, so that members know where they are and can make full use of them. Tent campers can stay on these sites if there is room, in addition to the caravans. To book you will need to telephone the number given in the list (some may have email contact) to check that there will be a vacancy for the period you want to stay. If there is room, book in, turn up, show your BN card and pay. It’s as simple as that.

BN is one of only five caravan and camping organisation in the UK to have been granted all of the available exemptions - only the Caravan Club, The Camping & Caravanning Club, The Civil Service Motoring Association Limited and Three Rivers Outdoor Club hold all of the exemptions out of over 400 exempted groups at present.

After negotiations with Natural England we have been able to ensure that INF visitors can also use our network of sites and rallies. As BN is affiliated to the INF even though they cannot be an exempted organisation in their own right, Natural England felt that it was appropriate to allow them access. Exempted organisations can share their activities only with members of exempted organisations to whom they are affiliated. Affiliation must be written into each of the organisations constitutions.

There are now 5 naturist exempted organisations. BN, Suntreckers, Three Rivers Outdoor Club, Mill Bank Sun Club and Lancashire Sun. Mill Bank and Three Rivers Outdoor Club are actively seeking affiliation, so that members of both organisations can rally together as a unit rather than as two separate organisations with separate marshalls etc.

What makes a site suitable for certification?

Basic requirements

• At least half an acre of land – fairly level, and well maintained

• Screening from neighbours and surrounding countryside

• Safe access – for cars, caravans or motorhomes, including 12ft wide gateway and safe approach road when entering and leaving the site.

• Drinking water, with appropriate soakaway

• Waste disposal – a regularly emptied dustbin could be enough

• Sanitation – a suitable facility for the emptying of chemically-treated toilets (called a chemical disposal point) must be provided

• Sites are for recreational use and not for storage or permanently sited vans

• Other facilities (electrical hook-ups, showers and toilets) are welcome.

More information is available at www.bn-caravanandcamping.org.uk.

John Thompson