BRAESIDE and Oxenwood must not fall into the hands of companies running the children’s outdoor centres for profit, says Wiltshire Council’s opposition leader Ian Thorn.

His warning comes after the council confirmed the publicly-run residential sites are set to go on the open market as businesses.

Coun Thorn, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group at County Hall in Trowbridge, urged the cabinet to hand over the sites to charities or community groups.

In an open letter he said: “This decision ‎must put the interests of current and future generations of our young people before the interests of companies who want to run these centres for profit.

“This means that if Wiltshire Council will not run Braeside and Oxenwood then a not-for-profit charity or community organisation‎ should. That is the path the Cabinet should go down.”

The centres will continue running until the end of the year as schools have expressed doubts over whether future bookings made up to two years in advance will now take place.

A petition launched by an angry mum following the shock announcement the Marlborough and Devizes sites could close received 16,000 signatures.

Wiltshire Council has since extended the consultation period to allow groups hoping to run the sites to come forward.

Elizabeth Kendall teaches year five at King William Street Primary School in Swindon and is a mother of two.

Children from the school visit Oxenwood annually but the school does not have plans in place for next year if the centre closes.

She said: “We are just hoping it will be saved. Otherwise we don’t know. People cannot afford to pay over £200 for a residential trip.

“It is a travesty that money is stopping the centre going ahead and the council can’t stretch to children having a wider experience.

“Oxenwood is an opportunity to experience other activities that children wouldn’t often get the chance to experience. They get to see each other and themselves in a different light away from the school environment.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said: “We know people are keen to see these sites continue as outdoor education venues and we are now taking the next step in the process. Interested parties can formally register their interest in Braeside and Oxenwood as a going concern when they are placed on the market and we will be reviewing all expressions of interest and assessing the most viable possibility for the future of these sites.”