Northamptonshire campsite owner unsure whether it will even be possible to reopen despite Government backing

A campsite owner in Northamptonshire remains unsure if they will reopen or not despite the official confirmation they can from July 4.

Dadford Road Campsite owner Clive Pullin welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's support but is yet to see the guidance on how they can reopen safely and decide whether it will be viable or not.

"If we can open legally then we will as we've managed to get on without any government help but our income for the year is significantly down, so if I can legally then I will," he said.

"But there's going to be a lot of legislation and health and safety rules so I'm got to be sure on that before we can reopen."

Mr Pullin said he is unsure yet if he will be able to afford the extra staff or PPE needed to reopen safely, with more cleaning far from the only change expected of campsites.

The biggest source of business for Dadford Road Campsite, like so many in south Northamptonshire, is the thousands of motorsport fans who visit Silverstone Circuit every year.

But the cancellation of most events or lack of spectators at those that remain, such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix, since March has put a serious dent in the business.

Mr Pullin said: "It will have an enormous effect and much bigger than just me as we won't be employing anyone and we usually employ a lot of older people or young mothers for a summer job.

"So there will be a lot of people affected badly by the lack of motorsport but we will have to see how bad it's going to be.

"But I suppose you have to be positive, we're still here to talk about it so I think the Government made the right decision.

"It's going to be tough but we're alive and still breathing."

Another bright side is the prospect of 'staycations' becoming more popular due to foreign travel restrictions and a general wariness for flying.

Mr Pullin said: "There's a silver lining in every disaster and I think people won't want to go on planes for a long time.

"So I think the market for people not going abroad will increase and there are only so many hotels and holiday camps so we may get an extra boost there so every little helps."