A charity centre that hosts up to 6,000 youngsters a year for life-enhancing outdoor activity trips has unveiled plans to redevelop the site to modernise its facilities.
Should North Yorkshire Youth’s plans be approved in the autumn, Carlton Lodge, off the A61 near Thirsk, is set to see some of the most significant changes in its facilities since being officially opened by Princess Margaret in 1971.
Between 5,000 and 6,000 overnight and day group young visitors attend the activities centre annually for an experience of a lifetime, from primary and secondary schools and bespoke groups, such as for those with mobility or behavioural issues.
The 12-acre site boasts a lake for water sports, a newly-refurbished climbing wall, a 100m zip wire and offers a range of other activities such as archery.
Activities are run in a way that can be linked to the National Curriculum and meeting requirements within it.
The charity, which was founded during the Second World War to provide activities mainly for girls, has lodged a planning application to build a 281sq m two-storey building, including a 12 twin room bunkhouse.
David Sharp, chief executive of North Yorkshire Youth, said the charity was eventually aiming to replace all its accomodation blocks with modern modular buildings that were more user-friendly for groups of young people and better equipped for children with mobility issues.
He said the first phase of the site’s redevelopment had been planned to provide a high quality accommodation block to allow the centre to improve
their offer and maximise revenue.
The development will see the demolition of outdated prefabricated bedroom accommodation, so there will be no increase in the area or number of beds on site and no change to the management of the site.
Mr Sharp said: “We’re not looking to expand the size of the site, but rather redesign and redevelop it so it becomes a better experience for young people and so we can improve access.”
The charity has previously secured planning consent for a new building, but due to the pandemic the permission expired, so its leadership has decided to reapply with a proposal for a more environmentally-friendly building.
As the modular buildings take less than half the construction time of traditional ones, if the scheme wins planning approval the development is expected to be completed by February.
Papers submitted with the proposal state a single tree is planned to be felled to accommodate the new block, as part of the proposed works.
The document states: “North Yorkshire Youth have historically and continue to plant hundreds of new trees on site.”
Mr Sharp added: “Modular buildings are better for the environment. It’s about re-using materials.”
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