Wingecarribee Council agreed that campers other than scouts should be allowed to use the camping ground for no more than 12 weekends a year.

Only four camp sites or vans will be allowed on the site at any time and not vans or tents are to stay for more than 24 hours.

Berrima Scout Camp has been in use since 1954 and has been open to the public for at least 25 years.

Fees paid by non-scouting groups for the use of the grounds have been a fundraiser for the scouts.

However, after Wingecarribee Council moved to rezoned the grounds for special purposes, restricting its use to scouts, the Scouts Association lodged a development application to allow public use of the grounds to continue.

At a meeting at Berrima last year, Scouts Association of Australia member Craig Ramsden said a survey of one 20-member group who used the camp spent $3000 in total in Berrima over a three-day weekend.

Berrima Residents Association president Keith Walker-Smith told Council last week that his group supported the scouting movement and did not object to the use of the camping ground as it had occurred over the past 25 years.

However, Mr Walker-Smith said residents were concerned that the use of the scouts camp could increase now that use of the Berrima reserve for camping was under review.

“Eight or ten times a year, we see caravans trundle along and come out a day or two later,” he said.

“Now they are talking about 12 weekends.

“We have no objections to groups or the number of times in a year. What we are asking is that Council impose a limit on the number of vans on the site and how many times vans can turn up.”

Mr Walker-Smith said BRA was not trying to stop a use that had been going on for 20 to 40 years.

“We are just trying to stop a significant increase in usage.”

Cr Larry Whipper said Council planned to reseal Apple Street, which provides access to the camping ground, but this was not related to the scouts’ application.

The Scouts Association will be required to maintain a register of guests. All noise from the campground must cease by 10.30pm.