Coventry Camping and Caravanning Club has addressed fire safety concerns

COVENTRY-based Camping and Caravanning Club recently addressed fire safety issues at the Derwentwater Holiday Homes site in Keswick.

The site, renowned for its scenic views of the Lake District, became the focus of scrutiny following an internal audit which highlighted potential fire risks due to spacing issues between units.

In a statement attributed to Sabine Voysey, managing director of The Camping and Caravanning Club, the organization outlined the steps taken since the spacing issues were discovered.

“In July 2023 we notified all home owners on our Derwentwater Holiday Homes site of potential spacing issues affecting a limited number of units.

“We take the safety of our landlords extremely seriously and have undertaken an extensive review of the situation, working closely with our local authority partners at Cumberland Council.”

The club commissioned an independent review by fire safety experts which, according to Voysey, did not identify any critical fire safety issues, but did offer some recommendations to improve fire safety at the site – all of which were later implemented.

“We kept all the owners fully informed and were transparent with them throughout the process.

“We have been in regular contact with the owners of the 69 units affected by spacing issues to inform them of the measures we intend to take to improve the fire safety of their homes.”

This includes the installation of heat detectors in affected units, fully funded by the Club.

However, the situation has sparked controversy following allegations from a local homeowner who claimed the Club deliberately withheld information about fire risks from affected homeowners.

This person is a member of Derwentwater Holiday Home Owners Association, said an audit carried out in July 2023 identified 90 static caravans at risk of fire, information which was not promptly shared with owners.

They added that the audit report, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, revealed that 54 per cent of the 166 static caravans on the site were at risk due to inadequate premises.

They criticized the Club for delaying communication with affected owners and claimed that the insurance for these caravans was invalidated due to distance issues.

They also alleged that the Club planned to charge homeowners for the adjustments needed to fix the spacing issues.

In response to these allegations, the Club reiterated its commitment to safety and transparency, highlighting the measures taken to address identified risks and their ongoing efforts to enhance fire safety on site.

The Club’s management, including the managing director, defended their actions, stressing that all recommendations from the independent review had been implemented and that they maintained regular communication with both homeowners and the local authority.