Letter: Why Would Council Want to Lease Camp Site to a Private Company?

Published on: 10 Jan, 2019
Updated on: 9 Jan, 2019

Chantries Camp Site

From Katherine Atkinson

In response to: Proposal To Turn Chantry Wood Campsite Into An Outdoor Activity Centre Or Forest School

This is tragic for those of us who live locally and use the campsite every year (as a group of families, not a formal group) and whose children have grown up running wild in the woods and toasting marshmallows on the campfire.

It is a very special spot, and one of the few places where kids can enjoy a couple of days’ old fashioned fun, unrestricted by adults and doing all the things older folk say they used to do when they were children. Lots of family memories have been created there, over many years. This is not the same as a 21st-century “forest school”, with programmed activities and lots of risk assessments.

Why on earth would the council want to lease the site to a private company? The finances involved are tiny (an annual loss of £5K). Has anyone thought about increasing the per head charges for campers? During the summer months, you have to book a year ahead to camp at a weekend so it isn’t under-used, at least at weekends. The lack of facilities do not bother people who camp there; that’s why we choose it, rather than a fancy loo block and games room.

I also walk our dog through the field regularly during the week and any weekday gathering of pre-school children will undoubtedly reduce public access to the camping field. Last year, I escorted my (now 102-year-old) friend through the woods to see the bluebells and we sat admiring the view on the bench in the camping field. Again, a formal preschool activity will preclude that.

Come on councillors – be more imaginative, recognise what a gem we have in the campsite, keep it open for campers looking for a unique experience. Forest schools can find somewhere else. Is anyone willing to fight for this, or even pay for it?

Responses to Letter: Why Would Council Want to Lease Camp Site to a Private Company?

Lee Johnstone Reply

January 10, 2019 at 11:16 am

I have to agree but to make it a more functional and expensive campsite it would need upgrades to the facilities. These would then need cleaning etc. In addition, a forest school would typically only be in use during the day on weekdays. A busier campsite would be 24/7 and be busier during the weekends and summer when more people will be using the area for walking.

I love the Chantries and would encourage people to use them but have to agree with the council’s approach as it makes the most cost-effective use.
John Perkins Reply

January 11, 2019 at 9:01 am

Katherine Atkinson is right. Why does anybody think that anywhere with natural beauty needs to be cost-effective? Its not business – it’s pleasure.

The Chantries is about as natural a spot as can be expected around here. Thank goodness there are people like Jonathan Bigmore (https://guildford-dragon.com/2019/01/09/letter-thank-you-dragon-for-reporting-this-issue/) willing to protect it from those who might turn it into a theme park.

Our current council is very different from the one that bought the land so many years ago. A clue to their thinking is in SANG (Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace). By “natural” they mean a managed garden with a man-made mud-free footpath, a car park with bicycle racks and bins for dog poo. Really all they think about is the bottom line: SANG is very profitable for some and Chantry Wood has already been used up.
Janet Ashton Reply

January 11, 2019 at 10:26 am

Forest School looks an excellent way to get children outside developing a sense of connection with the natural environment, the planet, each other and most of all, themselves. It would be good to see more opportunities like this for our children and young people.