Petition calls for beach camping to be legalised

News imageBBC People in the water at St Brelade Bay. It is a sandy beach and there's a view of waves crashing on the sand. There's land in the distance on the left. The sky is blue with a few white clouds.BBC
If it reaches 1,000 signatures, government ministers would respond to this petition

A petition calling for wild camping to be made legal on beaches has been launched.

The campaign said responsible campers should be allowed to stay overnight on beaches in Jersey, with a booking system used to manage stays and hold people accountable for breaking the rules.

It said the island's beaches should be enjoyed by Islanders and argued that most people who wanted to camp there simply wanted to enjoy their natural surroundings.

Wild camping is currently not permitted across the island, including on beaches, with the public being restricted to eight authorised sites.

The petition said a booking system could provide greater control over overnight stays, while allowing people to enjoy the coastline responsibly.

If the petition reached 5,000 signatures, it would be considered for debate by the States Assembly.

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