Beddgelert Forest Campsite petition

[sloth]

Hi all, Beddgelert in Snowdonia, North Wales, is village I spent an awful lot of time in growing up and I still have family there so it's a place quite close to my heart. It's a wonderful area with amazing people and an outstanding natural landscape and history. Now to get to the point, the forest campsite may be set to go through some unwelcome changes which could harm the local economy and character of the area.

If you wouldn't mind checking out this link, and signing if you see fit, that'd be great.

Thank you...

 

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-beddgelert-forest-campsite

[skyhuck]

Please excuse my ignorance, but are they not simply switching from camping to glamping?

 

I guess they are hopping to generate more revenue.

[Ironbark]

Gelert would turn in his grave.

 

Done, spent quite a few nights there myself.

[eggsarascal]

Councils worry when semi/perminent structures start getting built on camps, it's only one step away from housing.

[sloth]

Please excuse my ignorance, but are they not simply switching from camping to glamping?

 

I guess they are hopping to generate more revenue.

Kind of Huck, but it has a bit more significance than that, losing nearly 150 affordable camping pitches to create 19 cabins. It will make this beautiful place less accessible to the masses, and alter the character and atmosphere of the place, which really has been its charm. Plenty of campers/families mingling with the locals in the pubs and hiking with their dogs etc, will instead become small numbers of 'better off', who may well just stay in the on site bar of an evening. So in terms of revenue, I don't think it will filter down into the local businesses so much.

 

To save rewriting this is copy/pasted from the link -

 

Beddgelert Forest Campsite is set within the glorious mountain scenery of Snowdonia and is in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park. It has been providing outdoor lovers with an opportunity to enjoy the area since the 1930’s. That may now be about to change….

 

Forest Holidays (a joint venture between the Forestry Commission and the private equity firm LDC) have submitted a planning application to Snowdonia National Park, proposing the redevelopment of the site. The proposal will result in the loss of 75% of the existing camping pitches (from 195 down to 55) and the creation of 25 permanent timber houses. The redeveloped site will also offer onsite hot snacks, breakfasts, coffee and bar facilities.

 

Since 2013, over 1000 camping pitches have been lost at Forest Holiday locations throughout the UK. Whilst this may benefit the small number of people able to afford up to £4395/week cost to stay there, the vast majority of visitors to the Beddgelert site will lose a facility that has provided all-year round, low cost accommodation for nearly 80 years.

 

The community of Beddgelert is largely dependent on tourism and this will have a significant impact on the village. Our concerns are that this is likely to lead to:

• A loss of affordable and accessible camping within the Snowdonia National Park

• A detrimental social and economic impact for the community of Beddgelert.

 

UPDATE 28-Feb: Please note that Snowdonia National Park have delayed consideration of the proposal until 5-April. In addition, we have learned that Forest Holidays have submitted two major changes to the proposal in the last few days:

1. The proposed number of cabins has been reduced from 25 to 19.

2. They no longer plan to drain the hot tubs directly to the forest floor, but will now install an additional treatment works to process the foul water.

 

There will still be a reduction in the number of camping and caravan pitches so the potential impact to visitors doesn't change - if you want to stay in Beddgelert Forest campsite outside of the winter months, do it soon - or object, object, object (go to http://goo.gl/fK6OsF and "Comment on this application") !

[Agent-Arb]

Signed. Good little spot worth keeping within affordable access if poss. Have found Welsh Bobbies around that area more than reasonable after hours anyway.

 

But...

 

£4K plus...

 

for a week.

 

"!"

 

Hardly the ethos of National Park accessibility for all.

[Kenty]

Signed by me & mine.

We have a small connection with Bedgelert, around 7 years ago we entered into negotiations to purchase the convenient store, so was able to look at the finances and 80% of the turnover was generated by tourism so a development like this would destroy the local businesses which the residents also rely on.

 

We didn't buy it in the end as half way through the process the owner changed his mind.

 

This is one place that should be left well alone by development.

[porky]

Signed, love that area...

[matelot]

I have to admit, I would have thought that cabins would have increased the amount of tourism in the colder months and bring in wealthier tourists...

[luftwaffe]

national parks are full of ' white settlers ', escaping the rat race, I would probably do the same if I was living in urban Britain, in our local town you won't here a local acsent, might as well be in deepest Berkshire.