Are campsites doing enough to reduce their impact on the environment?

• Thursday, 10 January 2008
• Ted Leach and Pauline Halford
• 0 Comments

YES SAYS TED LEACH


Just visit any site run by either of the two main clubs or any of the major park owners to see what excellent work they are doing. Bins for different waste, bottle banks - you name it, the sites and parks have it. In many ways I think sites are ahead of local autorities on green issues.

The Camping and Caravanning Club is a good example. Several sites have won David Bellamy Conservation Awards which got to sites who have taken positive steps to increase flora and fauna, create habitats for wildlife and have left areas for wild plants. Its sites aim to establish and maintain links with local communities by buying local produce and using local tradesmen wherever possible.

It's the same with the Caravan Club and other large park operators. When applying for planning permission for a new site - or the development of an existing one - they include attractive landscaping and tree planting etc. This benefits the environment and makes staying on the sites a more pleasant experience for caravanners. So, I'm certain that any campsite that doesn't take protecting the environment seriously these days won't be around in a few years time.


NO SAYS PAULINE HALFORD


We are all being urged to take care of the environment and this responsibility does not end just because we are on holiday. Sites could, and should, do more.

Take recycling. Some sites provide a plethora of recycling bins, but many don't have any. 'Take it to the nearest council facility, 12 miles away,' I was advised on one site. Two-hundred cars making the 24-mile round trip every week? Where's the green sense in that?

Then there's the use of power. Amenities like free hot water for showers and washing-up, plus a flat rate for electric, might be convenient, but they engender an, 'I've paid, so I'll use it' attitude. If we paid for what we used, we'd think twice before wasting energy.

And don't forget what you see. A pitch with a view is attractive, but consider the effect on the coast and countryside. Huge sites sprawling across cliffs, or rows of vans lining a rolling hillside, do nothing to enhance the scenery. Sites should be designed to be hidden.

I could mention solar energy, renewable buidling materials, using local produce and planting trees. A site somewhere will be doing it, but shouldn't they all?