HOSTILITY has greeted news that new youth hostels could open in Windermere and Penrith while efforts continue to save Dufton Youth Hostel, near Appleby, from closure.

The Youth Hostels Association has said it plans to increase overnight guest stays in the North West by 40 per cent, which would involve a major new scheme in Cumbria to create YHA-badged hostels, bunk rooms and camping barns.

But campaigners working to save Dufton YH from closure said the news could jeopardise the association's bids for money.

The 36-bed hostel, worth more than £250,000, was earmarked for sale by the YHA early last year after it lost £1.2 million in Cumbria during the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

YHA representatives are searching for £175,000 in grants from various agencies to help fund the modernisation of the property with a decision due by the end of this month.

Dufton resident and youth hostel campaigner Ray Walker said: "Now it would appear the YHA has sufficient capital to open two new hostels. What worries us is this may well undermine their ability to get funds.

"The funding agencies will say If you have capital to build new hostels in Cumbria, why are you asking for money to secure an existing one there?'

"You can imagine our surprise because we have not been told about this and the YHA is also engaged in a major fund-raising exercise for more investment in the youth hostel in Borrowdale."

YHA regional manager Dave Waugh insisted that the newly-announced Youth Hostels Enterprise scheme was unlikely to involve vast sums of capital being spent by the charity.

"What we are doing is looking at working with other partners. What we are hoping, through the Youth Hostels Enterprise, is that there will not be a capital commitment for the YHA."

The scheme would involve the creation of new bunkhouses and camping barns aimed at young international travellers and funded by private, public and voluntary partners.

Mr Waugh said this would involve partner organisers owning, and in many cases running, new accommodation for a yearly fee and a percentage of the annual income, with the YHA providing marketing and booking services.

Areas identified as needing hostel accommodation include Windermere and Penrith, while Caldbeck, Sedbergh, Shap and Lancaster may see smaller ventures.

Penrith and the Border MP David Maclean has campaigned against the closure of Dufton.

He said: "I would give a warm welcome to a new youth hostel in Penrith but provided - and this is in capital letters and underlined they do not close the existing one at Dufton.

"This announcement by the YHA could sabotage its own plans either accidentally or deliberately. Dufton is on the Pennine Way, has a clear need, people use it and the village depends on it."

Mr Waugh said a firm of consultants for the YHA found that Dufton could be a successful enterprise if it was modernised and that it was preparing to submit a bid to the Rural Development Programme for funds.

"If the YHA stays in Dufton, and I think there is a very high probability it will, we would be investing in a hostel worth over a quarter-of-a-million pounds," he said.

February 5, 2003 12:00