WINCHESTER MP STEVE BRINE has marked this spring’s English Tourism Week with a visit to a family’s wildlife-friendly glamping park near the village of Bighton near Winchester in Hampshire.
Mr Brine was the guest of Two Hoots Glamping Site where he was welcomed by Shaun Ascough and his wife Michele who say they put sustainability at the top of their business agenda.
The couple acquired the park three years ago as their “dream project” after spending a career in property development both in the UK and South Africa.
Now, they told the MP, their ambition is to embark on a new holiday park development of super-luxury accommodation which will include eco-lodges with a minimal carbon footprint.
Mr Brine was shown around the five-acre grounds which, said Shaun Ascough, are a “wildlife wonderland” for a host of different animal, bird and plant species.
The hilltop site, where guests can enjoy panoramic views across the Hampshire countryside, includes hare, red squirrels, deer, pheasants, red kites and even glowworms among its residents.
The MP was also shown an oak-frame barn which the family is converting as their new home, and which will use solar power and an air source heat pump to generate much of its own energy.
Shaun told Steve Brine MP that he hoped the new luxury holiday lodges would provide city-based workers with the perfect rural antidote to their high-pressure lives.
At the same time, he said, Two Hoots Glamping Sites’ guests would benefit other local businesses by their spending in the area, and give support to the employment opportunities they provide
“I know from my experience that re-connecting with nature is a vital way for couples and families to achieve a more healthy work-life balance, both mentally and physically,” he said.
“Michele and I are incredibly lucky to be able to live and work in this beautiful part of Hampshire, and we are determined to provide the same VIP treatment to nature as we give to guests.
“We were delighted that Steve Brine was able to take time out to visit Two Hoots Glamping Site during English Tourism Week, and to learn more about our plans,” said Shaun.
EV charging points for guests with electric cars are hoped to be installed soon, and the couple – who have three grown-up children – will be creating extra wildlife habitats around the park.
There is also a wildflower meadow with many different native blooms which, said Shaun, provide vital foraging for honey bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
Speaking after his visit, Mr Brine said: “It was really interesting to visit Two Hoots again, and to meet Shaun and his family and hear of their ambitious plans for the site.
“I will watch with great interest as they develop, and am encouraging them to liaise closely with neighbours and with the local councillors who will all be important in making this the success it so obviously can be,” the MP added.
English Tourism Week, which runs until 24 March, shines a spotlight on England’s tourism sector, and the huge annual contribution that visitors make to the UK economy.
According to a recent economic survey, said Shaun, parks such as Two Hoots Glamping Site generate just over £9.2 billion in visitor expenditure in England each year, and support 170,500 FTE jobs.
There is more information about Two Hoots Glamping Site at www.twohootsglampingsite.co.uk, and the findings of the recent economic survey can be read at www.ukcca.org.uk