Is this acceptable, even if off season?

We recently stayed at the Waveney River Centre [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I'm certain during the season this would be a superb site and we will return to experience it again, but we were a bit dismayed to find after booking in at reception and making our way to our pitch to find quite serious renovation work taking place! The website had no info forewarning us of this and reception didn't even mention it when booking in, we only discovered when accessing the pitches by driving down a lane at the back of the site that this work was actually underway.

Sunday there were no work men present but Monday morning we were awoken by banging, diggers excavating, and a gang of tree surgeons felling trees (the tree felling went on for a further 3 days!!) On a positive note it gave us something to observe out of the windows, but I dare say had we be warned in advance we would have opted not to use this site.

They are doing some serious leveling of the camping pitches, which should give the motorhome pitches a clearer view of the marina. The setting for this site is really attractive and we want to return, but we have just been sent a questionnaire to fill in and I think we should have a good moan that no one forewarned us of the work taking place. Personally, I don't think the site should even have been open with such extensive work taking place myself, but we wanted a few days away to try out our Nuevo and at night it was peaceful so we just put up with it

In hindsight I really think the site should have informed us and should maybe have given us a reduction in the sites fees to take into consideration the disturbance and less enjoyable experience that we may have otherwise enjoyed


Plastic track to pitches taken up & left
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Early morning view from our side window
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View in front of our pitch
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The trees being cut down, have no idea why?
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Hi CC,

Couldn't agree more ..... with that much work going on, close the site, or at least inform you .... give em hell on the 'Questionnaire

Brian

PS, Now 13:30,

From their website ...... "It occupies an idyllic south-facing location overlooking the marina and river" ..... no mention of JCB's

Go get em Mate

What a mess. I would have told the reception how I felt.

Closing the site for a week would have been better.

Straight and simple answer CC. "NO" You should get a refund of your site fee.

Whisky.

A few years ago we went on a site in N.Wales at this time of the year where they were doing a lot of work like that and they had closed that section off and warned you on booking there could be noise on the site, alas no reduced priced was offered as it was the only site in the area open !!! but they did warn you.

Hi CC

Maybe you should have set up as a mobile tea bar you would have made a killing with all those contractors on site, but seriously you should have been warned or given a generous refund.

Regards John.

Yes CC. We would have been seriously miffed with that situation.
Barbara would have been demanding a refund within the hour(she does get upset with greedy people,) 'cause basically it's all down to that. Greed.
As you say they should have shut down for the week.
Roger

Thanks everyone for the replies, did think we were right to be a bit annoyed and glad others would feel the same way in this situation.

I would like to make it clear I'm not bad mouthing the site as it's a fantastic place and the owners have worked very hard to help the environment, it's a very "Green" site having won many awards and they should be commended for this. I'm sure the improvements being carried out will prove beneficial to campers next season, but I really think the site should have been closed and which most of you seem to agree with.

A few other things we weren't too happy about were the workmen using the toilet / shower blocks we were paying to use, and the young lad who pulled up the plastic track who just threw all the ground spikes all over the site meaning we had to drive over them each time we drove in and off our pitch, probably too large to cause a puncture in fairness but I still wasn't happy having to drive over them and thought this was extremely inconsiderate and careless, at night the site was pitch black and was a concern when walking the dog with these objects scattered around, so might well bring these issues to the owners attention.

On a perhaps more serious note, couldn't help but notice what looked like some kind of chemical (possibly toilet fluid as it was blue?) had been spilt all over the mooring point where boats get their fuel, this was actually running into the river which I was alarmed by especially as this site has won so many conservation awards, even if it's a non formaldehyde fluid (if it is indeed toilet fluid) I understand even biodegradeable fluids can be harmful to aquatic life? Anyway here is a couple of pics.. Of course I may have got this wrong and there is a simple explanation

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Just thought I'd update this thread in case anyone is interested.....

We were sent a Questionnaire via email from Waveney River Centre shortly after staying on the site, which we were happy to fill in and remark on the positive things but also took the opportunity when replying to point out the above issues as well as voice our disappointment. Sadly we have received no response so am now considering writing direct to the site owner to see if he cares enough to respond, very disappointing.

CruizingComet wrote:Just thought I'd update this thread in case anyone is interested.....

We were sent a Questionnaire via email from Waveney River Centre shortly after staying on the site, which we were happy to fill in and remark on the positive things but also took the opportunity when replying to point out the above issues as well as voice our disappointment. Sadly we have received no response so am now considering writing direct to the site owner to see if he cares enough to respond, very disappointing.

Hi CC,

I agree with your earlier comment, that it will be a good site when the work is finished (we love riverside/lakeside sites !!) but it is very rude of then to ignore your justifiable complaint ...... why do they bother to send out a Questinnaire in the first place and then not follow through ??
Lets hope writing direct to the owner will get a satisfactory result

Brian

deckie wrote:Lets hope writing direct to the owner will get a satisfactory result

Brian

Hi Brian

Sent a letter off to the site owner and got an immediate response back, seemed disappointed at our "Experience" of the site and agreed we should have been made aware by staff when the booking was made but had no explanation as to why this wasn't carried through? Also, said the questionnaire should have been picked up on and must have slipped through (rubbish staff I'd say) Anyway... he has invited us back to the site to replace the days we lost without charge, and said he would personally greet us on our arrival so can't say fairer than that, the alternative was a refund on half the site fees but as we wanted to return a free break seems the better option, feel guilty having to complain but it shouldn't have happened so pleased with the outcome.

Will keep you updated on what actually happens and if it's followed through, and hopefully on our next visit I will be able to report back with a better experience on what is an otherwise excellent site

CC

Hi CC,

Thats a great outcome in the end, thanks for letting us know

Looks like another site for us in the future

Brian

Hi CC,

I accept that with the best intentions sometimes things will go wrong, but the test of a good company is how they react to such a situation. This site owner has passed with flying colours.

orian wrote:Hi CC,

I accept that with the best intentions sometimes things will go wrong, but the test of a good company is how they react to such a situation. This site owner has passed with flying colours.

I couldn't agree more Bob, very pleased with the outcome and hopefully they have learned something out of it as well

I cant wait to get back there in spring / summer and see the improvements and the sight at it's best, it's only an hour or so from us so nice if you just want to get away for a few days without traveling too far, and the Norfolk / Suffolk Broads has always been one of my favorite places to be!

Chris Gosling from the Caravan Channel did a good video review of the Waveney River Centre but I can no longer find it, if I do come across it again I will post it

CC

Glad everything turned out well CC. Personally, as one who has done a lot of DIY building and landscpaing over the years, this sounds like my ideal site for a few days. I would just pour a glass and sit there entranced, scrutinizing all there latest methods and criticising their methods. I always like a site where there is some work going on ... keeps me amused for hours

Bob

BobK wrote:I always like a site where there is some work going on ... keeps me amused for hours

Bob

Hi BobK

If you hurry up and get booked in you might still get lucky Would envisage the work going on for a few weeks yet by the looks of it!

Seriously though.. I know what you mean, it was slightly entertaining just not what we had in mind

CC