Outdoor learning trips for thousands of young people will permanently relocate from the East Barnby centre near Whitby to a scout camp in Scarborough if plans are approved next week.
Outdoor educational trips for thousands of schoolchildren will permanently relocate from a historic Whitby site to Scarborough if new plans get the green light.
The East Barnby Outdoor Learning centre has hosted residential visits for more than seventy years, welcoming around five thousand young people annually. However, the facility has remained closed since December 2025 following the discovery of significant electrical wiring and installation concerns.
Major investment is needed to tackle asbestos, electrical faults, and an ageing water system that poses risks related to water quality and temperature control, according to recently published property surveys.
Because the land and buildings are leased from the Mulgrave Estate on a twenty-five-year agreement that began in 2018, repairing the facility would require unfunded capital investment with no long-term asset benefit for the local authority.
Instead, residential outdoor learning will move to a smaller, interim model at Birch Hall Scout Camp in Scarborough until July 2028, whilst longer-term options for the Yorkshire Coast are explored.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, said:
"For many children and young people, outdoor learning offers the chance to try new experiences, build friendships and develop skills that will stay with them throughout their lives. The proposals being considered seek to ensure there is no disruption to outdoor learning opportunities for children and young people while we consider options for the future delivery of the service on the east coast."
The transition to Birch Hall will result in a reduced capacity, dropping from one hundred and fifty-two beds at East Barnby to eighty beds in Scarborough. The new operating model will also be restricted to term-time use from Tuesday to Friday.
This operational shift will directly impact several established weekend and holiday groups. Charities and support networks, including Ryedale Special Families, WHISH, Get Away Girls, and Old Farm School, will no longer be able to host their residential stays, which provide vital education, respite, and confidence-building for young people with additional needs or from deprived communities.
The workforce also faces a major restructure, with teaching, catering, and cleaning staff facing potential redundancies due to the reduced capacity and operating days. Staff have already been working beyond their usual deployment limits to support the temporary delivery from Birch Hall since April 2026.
Despite the disruption, early trials at the Scarborough scout camp have proved highly successful. Between April and November 2026, the service retained eighty-six per cent of its residential bookings, allowing pupils to continue participating in coastal exploration, canoeing, climbing, and mountain biking.
One North Yorkshire teacher praised the alternative arrangements and said:
"Birch Hall was an excellent venue with their lodges nestled among the trees with beautiful grounds and good facilities. I would go back there without hesitation. Having experienced cooks, instructors and cleaners from the EB site offered greater reassurance that the trip would be successful."
Coastal communities in Scarborough, Whitby, and Filey face disproportionate levels of deprivation, making affordable, local outdoor education strategically significant for young people facing social and economic barriers.
Executive members will meet on Tuesday, August 18, to formally discuss ceasing capital investment in the East Barnby site and progressing the termination of the lease with the Mulgrave Estate.
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