HALF-MILLION CAMPERS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20387, 30 December 1937, Page 9

HALF-MILLION CAMPERS

THE SEASON IN BRITAIN NEW REGULATIONS FOR SITES (From a Correspondent) LONDON, Dec. 1 The camping and caravanning season, which has just ended, has been the most important ever held in this country, it is estimated that nearly half a million persons resorted to this form of out-door recreation during the past year. There are hardy members of the Camping Club of Great Britain and Ireland who decline to recognise any close season, and pitch their tents and light their camp fires in the Lake District and other remote areas even on Christmas Day; but they are a small and heroic minority. The others have packed their kit for the winter. With the close of the season there has come into operation the new Public* Health Act, certain clauses of which appear to be causing uneasiness among the oamping fraternity. This Act empowers local authorities to make new by-laws requiring the owner of every recognised camping site to be licensed to provide campers wilh satisfactory sanitary arrangements and water supply, and to ensure the clearing away of all rubbish that may be left by those using the site. Reasonable On the face of it this is reasonable and desirable, and the Camping Club readily acknowledges the need for the new Act to put an end to abuses which have brought indiscriminate camping into disrepute. Many owners of regular sites, however, have written to the club expressing fears that too exacting by-laws may make their position very difficult; and there is also apprehension among campers themselves as to their responsibility should they camp on unlicensed sites. It is suggested that in order to ensure uniformity of treatment model by-laws for adoption by local authorities should be drafted by the Ministry of Health, otherwise roving campers may find different sets of regulations operating throughout the country and siteowners be less favourably treated in one county than in another. In the case of large organisations, such as the Camping Club, the Boy Scouts Association, and the Girl Guides Association, which take proper steps for the management of their sites, it is. expected that the Ministry of Health will grant exemption from the provisions of the Act.