Codes of Practice

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ATTENDING RALLIES

Please  book early, by doing so, it helps the Rally Officer to plan the event.

A non-refundable deposit is required for each booking and, generally, the balance of the rally fee is payable on arrival. There is no reduction for short stays.

Rallies start at 10.00 am unless otherwise stated.

Please DO NOT arrive early, particularly on commercial sites. Please do not site yourself. Members wishing to be sited together (subject to the Rally Officer deeming it possible) should preferably arrive together.

Rallies are open to every member of the Association, whatever their area.

Visitors (members or non members) may not stay overnight or participate in any of the organised social activities.

The rally fees quoted in the programme are estimates, subject to possible change, and include any taxes due. Every effort will be made to complete the programme as published, but there could be alterations or cancellations due to causes beyond our control.

All sites include the basic facilities (water and chemical disposal points).

Unless otherwise stated sites are level grass and toilets are available. Showers, EHP’s (electric hook up points) are only available if stated.

• Please carry your own sanitation, fire extinguisher and smoke alarm.
• Dispose of waste water as instructed by the Rally Officer.
• Please consult the Rally Officer before lighting a barbeque.
• With the permission of the Rally Officer, the use of a quiet leisure generator is allowed between 10 am and 4 pm which must not be left unattended. If you have a medical certificate that proves that you need to use oxygen, or something similar, these hours could be extended.
• The RCA does not organise battery charging. Members attending rallies should make their own arrangements with the site owner. The RCA is not liable for any damage caused on RCA rallies.
• ‘Solid’ groundsheets are not allowed.
• All animals on site to be kept on a lead at all times. If you have more than two dogs, please let the Rally Officer know in advance.

Site postcodes are included, but you are advised to follow the published directions for the approach to the site, not the ‘sat-nav’ directions.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE ORGANISATION OF RALLIES

Date Passed…………………………

In consideration of issuing a Certificate of Exemption the issuing authorities expect a recreational organisation to issue among its members a suitable general Code of Conduct; to secure adherence to appropriate public health and fire precautions at the rally site during the rally; to avoid unduly frequent or immediately successive rallies at the same site; to take steps to minimise traffic congestion on adjacent roads during the course of the rally; and to avoid arranging caravan rallies at sites where there are likely to be road safety problems.

Below is our adopted Code of Conduct.

GENERAL

1. Rally goers should be familiar with the various Codes already existing; the Caravan Code, the Countryside Code and the Seashore Code.
2. The rally to be open only to members of the Retired Caravanners’ Association.
3. Proof of membership to be shown by participating members.
4. One named person to be responsible for the conduct of the rally.

FIRE AND SAFETY ON THE RALLY SITE

5. All units must be well spaced and sited so they do not restrict access to or exit from any other unit. A minimum distance of 6 metres between units and not less than 3 metres of clear space between any ancillary equipment or cars in any circumstances. Motor vehicles should be parked at the side of the van unless otherwise stated by the site owner. Emergency vehicles should be able to secure access at all times to within 90 metres of any unit on site. Rally officers should ensure that a telephone capable of contacting the emergency services is available at all times. (BL 11)
6. Open fires are not allowed.  Permission for the use of barbecues should be obtained from the Rally Officer and sited well away from vans, awnings and any other structures.
7. It is strongly recommended that all vans carry a suitable British Standards Institute and/or Fire Officer's Certificate approved fire extinguisher, and that everyone should be aware of how to use the one they have.
8. It is advisable that each caravan should have a first aid kit.

NUISANCE

9. Respect should be shown to the land- owner's property - trees, fences, farm buildings, equipment and stock.  Local people should be able to carry on their normal activities when meetings are in progress, and disturbance should be minimised. Complaints should be treated seriously, and steps taken to investigate and deal with the causes of complaint. Care should be taken not to damage the site or surrounding locality.
10. Domestic animals belonging to members should be kept on a lead, no longer than 2 metres and under close control. They should not be allowed to run loose on site or cause disturbance to local people or animals. They should be exercised away from caravans and parts of the site used for commercial activities and any mess must be picked up.
11. Flying kites and model aircraft, drones, and the use of items like catapults or airguns as well as ball games should not be permitted among, or close to the vans. If possible, the Rally Officer should arrange an open space well away from the vans for games.
12. Each pitch should be left clear of litter at the end of the rally, and a careful check made before leaving the field that no litter has been left behind.
13. Noise should be kept to a minimum for the comfort of other caravanners on the site as well as people who live or work nearby.
14. Whenever possible, cars should not be driven on the rally field if the ground is wet, to prevent damage to the field.

PUBLIC HEALTH

15. There must be clear differentiation between drinking water taps and water supplied for cleansing chemical closets. The two uses must never overlap,
16. The arrangements made for the disposal of wastewater and chemically treated sewage must be agreed with the landowner and must take full account of the need to safeguard water supplies and to prevent the pollution of rivers and streams.
17. Rallygoers must utilise their own chemical toilets properly charged with a chemical approved for the site being used.
18. The contents of the chemical toilet must not be disposed of on the rally site except into the disposal point agreed with the landowner.
19. Similarly, wastewater must not be disposed of except as agreed in paragraph 17 above. It is recommended that members collect wastewater from the caravan waste outlet in a receptacle and do not allow it to overflow and foul the ground.
20. The Rally Officer must give special consideration to the disposal point requirements at the time of the initial survey. He/she should bear in mind that the disposal point should not be sited:
    1. adjacent to a brook, spring, stream or river.
    2. adjacent to a well, borehole or adit. (An adit is a ventilation or drainage shaft for a mine)
    3. in an area used as a gathering ground for water supply purposes, unless authorised.
    4. In the same area more than once in a season.

Potential rally sites found in category (c) above will be avoided.

21. The disposal points should be filled in with the excavated earth at the conclusion of the rally and, where possible, the disturbed turf replaced.
22. Members attending rallies of short duration can reasonably be expected to take their refuse home with them.
23. On all other rallies refuse must be collected, and refuse receptacles should be used, and the subsequent disposal of the contents in a proper manner should be arranged with the landowner. In particular the Rally Officer is asked to ensure that:
    1. the landowner undertakes to ensure the proper disposal of the refuse,
    2. the Local Authority is requested to collect, or
    3. Where an authorised disposal company/contractor is engaged, he/she is asked to give an  undertaking only to dispose of the contents upon a licensed site under the direction of the site manager.

Under no circumstances should refuse be emptied into the disposal point for wastewater and chemically treated sewage.

CHOICE OF VENUE

24. The Association undertakes to consult with the Planning Department of the relevant Local Authority regarding any site it is proposed to use and not to use any site to which the Local Authority objects.
25. Avoid arranging rallies on Certificated Locations, or on immediately adjacent land, unless it is clearly possible to avoid a clash of interests with members using the Certificated Location field, and with people living locally.
26. Avoid arranging rallies on land adjacent to licensed sites, unless approved by the local authority.
27. Rally Officers should take care that the siting of caravans does not unduly interfere with the activities of local people, their privacy or the enjoyment of their property. They should also take care that the siting of caravans does not interfere with the enjoyment by others of the landscape, natural beauty or nature conservation value of the area and particularly in areas designated for their landscape or wildlife qualities.
28. Rally Officers must take reasonable steps to satisfy themselves that the site proposed for an exempted rally is not subject to an order under paragraph 13 of Schedule 1, or an Article 4 direction, or one for which planning permission has been refused or where enforcement action has been taken.
29. It is recommended that rallies should not be organised on successive weekends at the same venue.
30. Rally Officers are advised to avoid the over-use of any venue, taking into account its position and general suitability, impact on the locality of numbers of vans, and in National Parks, any advice given by the national Park Officer.         

ROAD SAFETY AND ACCESS

31. It is recommended that the arrangement of successive five-day rallies in holiday areas at peak periods involving members moving on from one rally to the next is avoided, unless movement of outfits is spread over a period to avoid nuisance to other road users.
32. In popular holiday areas at peak holiday periods (e.g. Bank Holidays) it is suggested that movement of towed vans should be arranged, if at all possible, outside the periods of heaviest road use to avoid inconvenience of other road users.
33. Venues chosen should be situated on good access roads of sufficient width to enable members' outfits to pass any other traffic which may be encountered without difficulty.
34. The access into the rally field should be at least 9 feet wide, easily negotiable and clearly indicated.
35. The Rally Officer should take steps to ensure that travel from major roads to a proposed site is not likely to cause undue disruption or difficulties for other road users. Access to the rally site must be suitable for the number and likely size of the units attending the meeting. The arrival and departure of caravans should be arranged to minimise disruption to other road users.
36. All vehicles to be restricted to 5 m.p.h. on the rally field, and learner drivers not allowed.