Driffield Showground reveals staycation plan for camping and caravanning to help balance the books

Driffield Agricultural Society has applied to East Riding Council to use its showground as a caravan and camp site for up to 150 touring caravans and tents.

Since the first lockdown last March, more than 100 events from weddings to charity functions have had to be cancelled, including Driffield Show, which is usually held in July.

That has resulted in a loss of tens of thousands of pounds, although chief executive David Tite said it could have been far worse had it not been for the government’s furlough scheme and support from charitable trusts and funding bodies.

Mr Tite said as well as helping balance the books, the proposals would also benefit the local economy, with more visitors staying on the showground using local pubs, restaurants and shops.

The showground’s Rix Pavilion can only accommodate 49 people under social distancing rules, which doesn’t make it financially viable for exhibitors, he said, and he had started thinking about how they could use the outdoor space better.

The idea is to put up to 60 stone pads down around the inner roadway where gazebos can be put up for events, but can also act as hard-standing for touring caravans with electric hook ups installed.

Being out in the open air, visitors would feel “more comfortable and safe” and there would be a one-way system to follow.

Mr Tite said they expected social distancing rules to continue even after mass vaccinations of vulnerable groups are completed.

He said: “When lockdown finishes there will still be social distancing rules in place.

“My personal theory is it will go back to the tier system and starting backwards hopefully to tier zero. We know in tier one and two there is provision for small mass gatherings and that is what we are basing our expectations on.

“I think the staycation is going to be a massive part of 2021 - travel corridors will be opening again but people have to have the confidence. I think it is going to be a challenge for some poeple because they have been in their homes for so long.”

Mr Tite said to survive they needed to adapt their business model. He added: “We already have caravan rallies 20 or 30 times a year - it will look just like it normally does.

“It will have a very low impact as we will be using the field in the middle of the site for camping and caravanning most of the time.

“We have to be a flexible showground - a showground that isn’t flexible is just a piece of grass that is used two days a year.

“We have been around since the 1850s, we need to survive this and have a slightly different business model. We won’t do anything that’s negative for the town.”

Although the plan is to use Driffield Showground much more for caravanners and campers, Mr Tite said there would be no one staying on the site during Driffield Show week.

A decision will be made by the end of the month whether to hold the Driffield Show.

It is hoped that the showground can open for caravans at Easter, depending on government restrictions.