In all the talk about uses for River Park, I don’t hear anybody mentioning the needs of young people who should be encouraged to visit Winchester.
Winchester is notoriously expensive. The city used to have a popular youth hostel and a campsite at River Park, from which they could use the old Leisure Centre's washing and toilet facilities.
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The campsite was lost because of flooding, and the Youth Hostel was at the end of a long lease with the National Trust. The NT wanted to raise more money from its building. Repair and extension was intended by the Youth Hostel, using flint on the east side of the river but the chair of the Planning Department took exception to this. So the site was lost. We lost other opportunities for a Youth Hostel at Bar End and a wonderful site above Debenhams.
We still have River Park however, where facilities are needed anyway for other sport activities there.
Please don’t forget the needs of young people who might want to visit Winchester.
Andrew Rutter, Quaker
St John's Road,
Winchester
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