Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Proposed Closure Ivinghoe Youth Hostel
On April 20th those concerned at the proposals to close the youth Hostel, will be meeting representatives of the YHA executive. The YHA hopes to explain why it is necessary and desirable to close the hostel.
The main points made by the YHA are
- YHA has re stated its aim to work with families with children, schools and youth organisations and young people travelling independently for the first time.
- Changing tastes and markets have left YHA with too many under - used properties in less popular locations. It is intended to use sale proceeds from these properties to raise funds for YHA's plans to improve successful hostels, while creating and relocating facilities in top rural and urban target locations,where demand for accomodation amongst young people is high.
- Ivinghoe hostel is only 1* and would require an investment of approx £250k to bring it up to standard and make it fit for purpose. The annual occupancy rate has consistently been running at 35% with approx 6k overnights per annum.
- YHA has a popular hostel on the Ridgeway and is planning to develop the Jordans site as our main hostel in the 'classic' Chiltern woodland countryside.
Campaigners met in March to voice their opposition, and want to know why the following have not been taken in to consideration when the hostel is valued highly by all who have stayed here, both in the experience it offers of staying in a Georgian building, and in enabling young people to fully explore surrounding educational and countryside resources – windmill, watermill, farm museum, church, canal, mountain biking and boarding, Ashridge, Ridgeway long distance trail, Whipsnade zoo. The Chilterns AONB sustains 7 million day visitors per annum, and expects more to come as Ivinghoe is within 10 miles of the Aylesbury sector of the MKSM sustainable communities growth programme, and the Luton South Beds growth area.
The hostel is an essential feature of the Ivinghoe conservation area and has been part of daily village life for 80 years and integral to the success of village businesses such as the Post Office and Countryside Centre, as well as voluntary societies.
Maybe on 20th April the following questions (and more) will be answered
- The YHA’s mission statement is to aim to help all, especially the young of limited means, to greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside. How does the decision to close this hostel square with this mission? Ivinghoe Hostel currently enables more than 600 schoolchildren a year, often from deprived areas, to experience the countryside, as well as other visitors?
- If as stated in press coverage the YHA is going to invest the proceeds of the sale in upgrading all its hostels to 3* how does that help the young of limited means? Why is it considered necessary to refurbish to such a high standard? Ivinghoe Youth Hostel has had a major refurbishment recently.
- When the YHA sold the hostel garden to create Windmill Close both in the last 10 years and previously, why weren’t some of the proceeds invested in refurbishment then? The current estimate of £250,000 is a very small proportion of the sale value of that land, and could be raised today by the sale of the ‘camping field’.
- Although said to be running at 35% capacity or 6000 overnight stays pa, is this above or below average for hostels?
- Does the relatively high overnight rate for a ‘one star’ hostel discourage visitors?
If numbers are the issue, where is the YHA’s marketing strategy? The YHA have also been quoted as saying Ivinghoe Hostel is a non-strategic destination catering only for walkers and cyclists, not the four groups the YHA are pledged to cater for. In fact Ivinghoe Youth Hostel caters for far more than walkers, and on a direct public transport route from Luton Airport and less than 2 miles from the main rail route in to London, has the potential for far more.
- Why is Ivinghoe YHA not marketed by the YHA as part of the Chilterns and Ridgeway long distance trail, but as in the heart of England and WYE VALLEY?
- Developing Jordans may be restricted by Chiltern DC’s planning policies.
- If Ivinghoe Youth Hostel is closed before change of use is applied for, what guarantee is there that it will be quickly disposed of, and not become derelict?
- How confident is the YHA that planning permission can be obtained and the estimated value of the hostel realised in view of the restrictions that are placed on a grade II listed building that is the focal point of a conservation area?
- Was the hostel bougt by the YHA, or donated? If it was donated, are there conditions attached to the gift?
- What value other than monetary does the YHA place on this hostel?
All details of the campaign are on http://www.pitstone.co.uk/
Write to Mark Farmer, The Youth Hostel Association, Trevelyan House, Dimple Road, MATLOCK. DE4 3XB
