Forest Constable sees value in managing activity groups

Andy Niles said the growth of such groups, which cater for kayaking and coasteering, was very good news but unsustainable unless it was planned for.

Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services currently has a planning application pending to change the use of a parking space at Petit Bot for the temporary storage of a kayak trailer and a section of grassland for use in association with commercial outdoor recreational activities between 1 April and 1 October up to 2021.

A similar application last year was withdrawn.

Mr Niles said the Forest constables had objected to both.

‘Activity groups say their businesses have expanded by 30% in each of the past three years,’ he said.

‘We are fully on board with that but we do not believe it should all be one area but should spread across other south coast bays.

‘There needs to be accessibility, storage facilities, somewhere that people can shower and change and this very simple change of use application by the States does not deal with that.’

The Surf School at Vazon was an example of something being done properly.

The upper section of the Petit Bot Tearooms is currently closed, though the kiosk and the toilets are still open.

The owner, who did not wish to be named, said activity groups were getting changing in adjacent parking spaces or on his property.

This, coupled with inappropriate behaviour from some, meant customers were staying away and that part of his business had become unviable.

Mr Niles said the matter did not need to be so contentious and all parties needed to engage.

‘I can’t speak for the owner of the tearooms but, if I was him, and I knew that things were being managed properly down there in relation to activity groups, I would be looking to build on it.’

Vice dean of the Forest douzaine Dave Gorvel said things as they were at Petit Bot were not good enough.

There appeared to be no policing by ACLMS and no community policing either.

Kayaks and paddles were often left in the road and wetsuits, lifejackets and helmets were hung over railings, public benches, walls, or chairs and tables at the tearoom.

From some of the behaviour he had seen, it was not surprising that people were cancelling bookings at the tearoom. He has written to the planning authority giving his views. He would like to see the Forest and St Martin’s parishes take over management of the area on behalf of ACLMS.

ACLMS has said it would like to form a charter group from interested parties for which a code of practice could be developed.

It could not say when that might be done.

Ant Ford Parker, founder of Outdoor Guernsey, one of two activity groups with permission to work there, said they had had no complaints about any antisocial behaviour.

Go-Guernsey director Phil Le Poidevin said he hoped the formation of a charter group would enable any issues to be sorted out.