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2009 Avebury Megameet
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Pete G
Pete G
3506 posts

Re: 2009 Avebury Megameet - Other Events
Jul 04, 2009, 05:20
In April this year the National Trust at Avebury completed the analysis of the returns from the consultation document for the overnight camping for regular observances at Avebury and presented a recommendation to the Wessex Region of the National Trust. After three years and several levels of consultation it was clear the outcome was never going to be straightforward. Of the three options that were presented; themselves resulting from consultation workshops with a wide variety of interested parties and statutory agencies, one option emerged clearly; abeit as the least undesirable of those presented.
The detail of the statistical breakdown from the consultation was presented at the Avebury Parish Council Annual General Meeting on March 31st 2009. The consultation revealed that the majority of respondents were in favour of continuing the provision of camping using the existing visitor car park off Beckhampton Road. A number of respondents were cautious regarding this option and felt that they could only support it if certain changes were introduced. The detail of that consultation is available from the Avebury Estate Office on request.
The changes proposed were to provide sufficient space to ensure the safety of those attending and other visitors, to aim to reduce the numbers of nights available at Summer Solstice in particular, and to introduce a charge for all those making use of such a facility. The National Trust has undertaken with the local community to bring about all of those changes.
A new procedure to enforce the parking fee has been introduced and this will ensure all those attending observances at Avebury in future contribute appropriately. A distinct charge for camping will be introduced by Summer Solstice 2010 and thereafter. A limit to the number of spaces that can be provided safely has been set at 210 spaces. We are negotiating a limit to the number of nights camping is made available and a great deal of progress has been made with those attending voluntarily reducing the length of stay. There is more progress to be made.
Health and safety remains our largest concern given the numbers that attended Summer Solstice last year. It is clear that the overflow carpark where we accommodated camping last year is not sufficiently large enough to handle the number of people that the focal point of the south-east quadrant of the Stone Circle can reasonably tolerate for the Summer Solstice observance. We are in negotiation locally to ensure we have adequate space this year to ensure a safe and peaceful Summer Solstice.
One message from the consultation came through loud and clear, and that was that to make no provision for overnight camping was not an option. The Wessex Region of the National Trust have upheld the properties recommendation and the new management arrangements will now be written into the properties business plan. The business plan will be available for local feedback sometime in 2010.
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