Permanent Shropshire scout camp plan unveiled

With a shortage of places for children to set up camp in the county, a scout chief who is moving to the area says he hopes to turn a field by his house into a dedicated spot for scouts and guides.

Jeff Williams, currently District Explorer Scout Commissioner for Milton Keynes, says affordable, safe campsites for children and youth groups are in short supply - so he has lodged a planning application to create one of his own.

Mr Williams, who will be transferring to Shropshire County Scouts as a skills adviser next year, has lodged the application for a field in the grounds of Seifton Court, near Culmington, where he will be living with his wife Joy.

A scout leader for nearly 30 years, Mr Williams said: "Scouting in Shropshire is in the ascendancy, with numbers of members growing year on year.

"Affordable, safe camp sites and accommodation in south Shropshire are scarce, especially with the increase in adult checks and safeguarding making the use of public sites more difficult."

He said care had been taken to make sure the site, at the village near Craven Arms, would be secluded.

"Due to the proximity of neighbours we are deliberately restricting the campsite area and location and introducing screening hedges so the site will not be overlooked.

"The campsite should be large enough for one scout group to camp.

"Shropshire Council department of education asked if we could provide 150 places, but to maintain the 'invisibility' of campers we are restricting the numbers to 52."

He said nearby Spatchford public campsite could take another 100 campers on an exclusive basis if required by big groups.

He said he hoped the site would gain charity status so that he could be on-site as a warden full time, living in the house at Seifton Court, with the site mainly in use on weekends, with occasional summer camps.

He said accommodation charges would be just to cover costs and maintenance.

"This is not a commercial enterprise and it will be fully funded initially by ourselves, taking advantage of any grants we can obtain," he said.

He said the site was not intended to compete with other local facilities, but may be able to accommodate walkers when not used by youth groups.

Plans were for the campsite to be an example of eco-friendly living as well, he said.

"Already we have planted 9,000 willow setts to help provide wood chip for a boiler which will heat the bunkhouse and adjoining existing property.

"We aim to incorporate both solar thermal and solar electric panels, rainwater and shower water recycling for toilet usage, and incorporate a four stage recirculation sewerage system all to be on display to the users and local community as examples of renewable systems," he said.

The application is set to be decided by Shropshire Council planners by October 6.