Welcome back to your caravan – but only if you live in Wales
After months of being closed, caravan park owners in Wales will today be welcoming back guests – but only if they are from Wales.
While self-catering in Wales reopens today, with caravan parks looking forward to their first arrivals since last year, for many there is frustration that the UK Government rules prevent English residents from holidaying in their Welsh caravans.
A huge portion of Mid Wales' caravan pitches are used by people from across the West Midlands – up to 90 per cent in some cases – all unable to visit until next month when the English lockdown roadmap lifts restrictions.
It is not even simple as which country you are from for some parks.
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Cheryl Hall, who runs Tanat Holiday Park in Llanymynech, has part of her park in Wales, and part in England.
It means that although she has six Welsh customers who could legally visit their caravans today, only one is able to because the other five have their pitch on the English side of the border.
The park has 150 pitches – 90 in England, and 60 in Wales.
Mrs Hall said the situation had been frustrating for their English visitors – and the Welsh ones unable to attend.
Desperate
She said: "We have got six customers from Wales that can use their caravans but we only have one that can come because this is the only one on the Welsh side of the site.
"The other five can't stay but they could stay in the holiday lodges a few metres away because they are in England."
She added: "I can completely understand what the government is doing, they do not want to have a massive influx of tourists but the Easter weekend would be our busiest weekend so it is frustrating.
"People are desperate to come down for a change of scenery and to check on their investment – they are a lot of money."
John Brookshaw, who runs Plassey Leisure Park at Eyton, said their was excitement about the prospect of opening again, but frustration at the continuing difference in rules between England and Wales.
He said: "We cannot wait, to reopen. We have been waiting an awful long time for this day but everyone is really excited to get here and get on holiday again.
"We have got a number of people coming from Wales but the majority of our business, with us being close to the border, is from the English side so the main date for us is hopefully April 12, and that's when 90 per cent of our business is expected."
He added: "There has been an awful lot of confusion. It is a real shame that the Welsh and English governments do not work together really, and have the same path of reopening. Especially for businesses on the border that suffer from that."
Advice
Mark Bebb, joint managing director at Salop Leisure, which deals with 150 parks in Mid Wales, again welcomed the opening in Wales, but said English customers were disappointed not to be able to enjoy the Easter weekend at their caravans.
He said: "We are obviously delighted that the First Minister agreed to open up self catering.
"I understand his safe approach, however in terms of caravan parks, we deal with 150 in Mid Wales and we estimate approximately 10 per cent of pitches are owned and used by people in Wales. This however leaves 90 per cent of users who are very frustrated at being unable to use holiday accommodation.
"We have taken lots of telephone calls looking for advice and have to refer them to the Welsh Government advice.
"There are owners that only live one or two miles into Shropshire that can't visit and they find it particularly frustrating."
He added: "I think the really important thing is as frustrating as it is we are nearly there."
