Marle Hall outdoor centre closure 'heartbreaking'

The head of Knightlow Primary School said the centre provided an "absolute highlight" of childhood for many youngsters

An outdoor residential centre pupils say has brought children "life-changing" experiences will close.

Marle Hall, a stately home near Snowdonia, Wales, has been owned by Warwickshire County Council since 1971.

One head teacher said she had been left feeling "heartbroken" at the "poor decision."

But the local authority said the decision had not been taken lightly and the centre had been "consistently under-utilised".

A petition with more than 7,000 signatures was handed to the county council calling for it to save the centre, where activities include canoeing, rock climbing and exploring the coast and mountains.

The facility would be closed permanently on 22 October, said the council, with schools having to cancel existing bookings. They will be offered refunds and support to find an alternative provider.

The centre will be permanently closed from October

Jill Vavasour, head teacher of Knightlow Primary School, in Rugby, said children who had booked to attend the centre would be "so disappointed."

At her school, pupils had been using the centre for 42 years.

"It's special, it's something different, it's something amazing and we're just throwing it away," she said.

Anita Sharman, from Leamington Spa, who attended the centre as a child, said it had been a life-changing experience.

"Some of the children in my class had never been in a field before, let alone [gone] to Snowdonia."

The centre would need significant investment in order to keep it open, the council said, which would likely cost £850,000 over the next 10 years.

Teachers say children can develop a love of nature at the centre near Snowdonia National Park

"Outdoor residential trips remain a key part of Warwickshire County Council's commitment to outdoor education and our schools will continue to have a choice of a wide range of residential outdoor education providers," it said in a statement.

"We have a responsibility to make sure we are spending public money wisely and so sometimes have difficult choices to make."

The council said the facility existed within an "open and competitive market, with schools able to choose from about 50 other providers within a similar radius".

"Schools are free to choose any provider they like and the council is under no legal duty to offer an outdoor facility of our own to schools."

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Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington Matt Western said the Conservative-run authority had allowed the building to fall into disrepair, failed to market the facility effectively and opted against exploring options to make it accessible for disabled people.

"This year we should have been celebrating its 50th anniversary, not mourning its closure."

Ms Vavasour said there were still questions to be asked about how the decision had been made and "where the viable business plan could have been that could have saved Marle Hall".

"The parents and the children of Warwickshire are going to be feeling absolutely awful about this."