Becoming a certified site

Before applying for an exemption certificate please ensure that you have read through all of the information on our website. It is important to read the ‘starting a Glamping site’ page. This includes some reasons why a site may not be suitable.

What you should know:

When applying for an exemption certificate there are a few conditions to be aware of.

1. Firstly, at least one person per pitch/unit must be a club member. This is applicable to all bookings including these from Pitch Up or any other platform.
   
   
2. The membership fee for Glamping accommodation is £12.50 and for touring sites (pitch your own tents and caravans) it is £6. This is payable each time a guest stays at a Wanderlust Camping Club site. Prices are inclusive of VAT. Most people prefer work this fee into their price (or add it on) at the booking stage. We can then ask you for a list of members and invoice you for these monthly.
   
   
3. We will require full names and email addresses for members. As we are a members only club this must be adhered to. Failure to do so could result in us revoking the certificate with immediate effect.
   
   
4. We reserve the right to visit your site annually. This visit is to make sure that the site is clean and well run and that you are sticking to the guidance given by the club. After the first year your annual visit is included in the certificate fee.

About our fees

The money raised by the club helps us to to run efficiently which means we can continue to certify great sites across the country. Some of the funds we raise go towards advertising and promoting our sites.

All fees are inclusive of VAT.

Why Wanderlust Camping Club?

Wanderlust camping club has been running as a private club for almost 10 years. We have recently decided to work with a select number of sites so that we can share our passion with the ever growing Glamping sector.

We want to attract like-minded members whose numbers are forecast to grow rapidly over the coming year.

Our aim is to bring people into the world of Glamping and to educate both our members and our certified sites.

By being honest and realistic we can manage peoples expectations meaning that you will get better reviews from your guests. (Most negative reviews received in the Glamping sector are due to the sites promising too much and not being able to deliver).

The result of the above means that our members will be ‘the right kind of guests’ for your site. They will be encouraged to visit you and to leave good feedback, boosting your credentials online.

We do not insist that you have camping pitches as well as Glamping. If you want to be exclusively Glamping, that is fine by us!

We do not have advertising restrictions. You can advertise and take bookings where ever you please.

Levels of exemption certificate

Wanderlust Camping Club offer a few types of exemption certificate for Glamping sites and a ‘touring only’ option. We have outlined the details of each level below.

It is possible to have a mixture of the different Glamping units described below but the amount must be agreed by the club.

Touring Only

1. Up to 5 touring pitches for camper vans/caravans and unlimited pitch your own camping
2. This also includes use of our rally licence
3. Price of ‘touring only’ certification per year £300 (inc VAT)

Level 1

1. Unlimited pitches for pitch your own camping (depending on size and facilities)
2. Up to 5 touring caravans/motorhome pitches
3. Glamping
4. Up to 5 small Glamping tents (bell tents or similar)
5. Or
6. Up to 3 large Glamping tents (safari tents, yurts, domes or similar)
7. Or
8. Up to 3 hard Glamping units (shepherd huts, pods, gypsy caravans or similar)
9. Price of certification per year £750 (inc VAT)

Level 2

1. Unlimited pitch your own camping (depending on the site)
2. Up to 5 touring caravan/motorhomes per piece of land
3. Glamping
4. Unlimited Glamping tents (depending on the site)
5. And
6. Up to 5 shepherd huts, pods, gypsy caravans or similar
7. Price of certification per year £1500 (inc VAT)

Rallies

1. In addition to an exemption certificate, our sites can make use of our Rally licence. Rallies can go on for a maximum of 28 days and can accommodate an unlimited number of tents and caravans (depending on the site).
2. As rallies are for club members only the membership rule still applies. We require at least 30 days notice to issue a rally licence.

The application process

Below, we have outlined the process of going through an application.

Stage 1

1. A desktop study costs £300 (inc VAT). This is a process where we gather as much information as we can about your site remotely and perform a series of checks (including a remote ecological survey) to ensure that your site is suitable to be certified by us.
2. At this stage you will be asked to fill out an application form and to submit photographs of the site as well as a site plan.
3. This stage also includes a phone consultation of up to 40 minutes where we can discuss the finer details of your site.

Stage 2

1. If all goes well with our desktop study we will arrange a site visit.
2. The fee for a site visit is usually around £400 (inc VAT) depending on your location. Please ask for a specific quote for your location. After the first year the annual visit is included in the certification fee.

Stage 3

If we are all happy with everything at this point we can issue your certificate. This can usually be done in around 4 weeks (from the site visit). We will write to your local authority and inform them that the site has been certified by us. You will just need to pay the annual certification fee which will cover you from March to March. Just to confirm, the annual certification fee is in addition to the set up costs outlined in stages 1 and 2. The setup costs only need to be paid on your first year.

The annual certification fee includes an annual visit (except for the first year), promotion on our website and social media pages, discount and priority from Glamping equipment suppliers and advice on setting up your campsite. This fee can be offset against your taxes.

Some of the shepherd hut manufacturers/Glamping equipment suppliers that we work with have agreed to generous discounts if a large purchase is made from them.

Please ask for more details.

Other notes

It is important to note that an exemption certificate does not give you the right to live on site or add infrastructure such as underground sewerage, power, foundations or any permanent building. A camping exemption is for recreational use only. 

Your fee includes a letter to the local authority, any in depth telephone conversations or e-mails clarifying any points may be chargeable.

We are under no obligation to attend a face to face meeting with a planning officer. Such a meeting would be subject to a further fee.

We cannot be held responsible for any works carried out before you became a certified site. We are happy to offer advice on what is acceptable for facilities, decks and groundworks etc. Anything carried out before the certification or without the clubs approval is your own risk.

Begin the application

To begin the application process please submit the application form linked below along with the fee for our desktop study.

Once this has been received we will aim to get back to you within 4 weeks.

We highly recommend that people start the process as early as possible. Lead times may vary during the spring due to high demand.

We also recommend that you secure a certification from us before you begin work or start bringing equipment onto the site. 

The certificate runs from the 1st of March to the 1st of March and is renewed every year.

Please follow the link below to fill out the application form. Before filling out the application please ensure that you have read the text above and the text on the starting a Glamping site page. By sending the application you agree to the terms and conditions.

Any fees paid for the application are non-refundable even if the club cannot certify your site. If you would like to arrange a quick phone call before applying, please get in touch and we will book you in.