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Youth Hostel Closures
by Bob Walker
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Ten youth hostels are to close following a big drop in visitors during the foot and mouth outbreak.
The Youth Hostels Association says numbers fell by up to 50 per cent in some areas and by 20 per cent overall at the height of the crisis.
Around £2 million was saved by temporarily closing some buildings, but the organisation needs to save an additional £4 million to safeguard its housing improvement programme.
The hostels facing closure are: Aysgarth and Linton in the Yorkshire Dales; Buxton and Elton in the Peak District; Copt Oak, Leicestershire; Dufton, Cumbria; Holmbury St Mary, Surrey; Norwich; Thurlby, Lincolnshire and Windsor, Berkshire.
"This was a very hard decision to take, but a necessary one in the circumstances" said Chris Boulton, YHA Chairman. "The news is, however, better than expected. Help from our members and assistance from public funds, together with the savings we were able to make, have limited the number of Youth Hostels affected to ten. Taking this action now will safeguard our ability to continue with necessary investments and plans for the future."
Martin Trouse is the deputy manager at the Buxton hostel. He’s worked there for the last 18 years and is deeply saddened by the closure.
Mr Trouse said Buxton was often used by parties of children gaining their first experience of the countryside. Ironically the number of visitors using the Buxton hostel actually increased during the foot and mouth outbreak because they were able to use other attractions in the town while the countryside remained closed to walkers.
John Riddall from the Derbyshire Ramblers’ Association condemned the closure programme, pointing out that the government was desperate to re-vitalise the rural economy in the wake of foot and mouth.
He said hostel visitors often provided a small but important source of income for local shops and pubs.
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Visitor numbers to the youth hostels
diminished during the foot and mouth
outbreak
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Buxton youth hostel is one of those
set to close |
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Other businesses in Buxton may lose trade once the hostel is gone |
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