Pressure mounts to reopen New Forest campsites in Hampshire as lockdown eases
FORESTRY England (FE) has appealed to the operator of campsites in the New Forest to reconsider its decision not to open campsites.
Camping in the Forest, which runs 10 camp grounds in the national park, has decided not to reopen any of its UK sites despite the easing of lockdown rules which would allow it to do so.
Camping in the Forest announced it was still not viable to reopen from a ‘safety, operational and financial perspective’.
Forestry England, which manages and promotes the UK’s woodlands, has offered to defer rent payments to support the reopening of the campsites.
An FE spokesman said: ‘We've asked Camping in the Forest to reconsider their decision and offered them financial support by deferring their rent for sites in England and that offer still stands.
‘However, the ultimate decision to remain closed still rests with Camping in the Forest.’
The Camping in the Forest enterprise was set up by the Forestry Commission and The Camping and Caravanning Club (CCC) to manage camping on Crown land on a commercial basis. While Forestry England staff sit on the board the CCC is the majority owner.
New Forest West MP, Sir Desmond Swayne, has also been putting pressure on the Camping in the Forest to reconsider its decision.