Warwickshire County Council plans to close Marle Hall meet opposition
SHOCK plans to close Marle Hall centre for outdoor learning have prompted teachers and parents to launch a campaign to save it.
Marle Hall, which is due to celebrate its 50th birthday next year, provides educational and adventure courses to Warwickshire youngsters. More than 60,000 young people are estimated to have visited.
Located on the North Wales coast, the venue is owned by Warwickshire County Council, but the authority is planning to close it, citing the high cost of subsidising it.
The news has been met with opposition from teachers and parents and a petition to save it has already attracted close to 3,000 signatures on change.org.
The centre, like other outdoor learning centres across the UK, has been impacted by current government warnings against overnight educational trips due to Covid-19.
Anne Clewley, headteacher at Alveston C of E Primary School, said: “We were so sad to hear the news that Marle Hall is at risk of closure. Our children have been visiting for over 20 years. It is the high quality of provision at Marle Hall that keeps us going back year after year.”
Stratford parent Steve Groves said: “I’ve got four daughters, one who has already been, one whose trip was cancelled this year due to Covid and another two who were hoping to go in the future.
“My eldest daughter had a fantastic time. These trips help children to come out of their shell and going away with your friends is a real bonding experience too – you get to try different activities you wouldn’t get the chance to otherwise.
“If this closure goes ahead it will be a huge loss. You meet adults who tell you about their trips to Marle Hall when they were younger: it’s one of the experiences from their school days that really sticks with them.
“As far as I can see this is a short-term budget fix. It has been a challenging year for places like Marle Hall, but they are sustainable and once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe said: “Marle Hall is a wonderful place offering a great outdoor learning experience. We’ve spent five years trying not to do this, but it is hard to justify spending so much money on something that will only benefit a small number of children.
“We have been trying to make Marle Hall more commercial, but we’re currently subsidising it by £250,000 every year and it needs a further £1m spent on it. Less than ten per cent of Warwickshire’s schools are sending their children there. We are currently consulting on this.”
The plans were discussed at a recent council cabinet meeting but were not made public due to “commercial sensitivities”.