Fresh opposition for forest holiday park plans

Plans to build dozens of holiday lodges in a forest have faced fresh opposition over fears the scheme would overwhelm local roads and infrastructure.

Forest Holidays wants to build 70 cabins for up to 368 guestsat Hamsterley Forest near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, alongside a cafe, restaurant, shop and staff accommodation.

South Bedburn Parish Council and Hamsterley Parish Council's objections said the development would be of the same size as the existing village and double its population.

The applicant said there had been a "campaign of objections" against the plans and "relevant planning considerations" picked up by official bodies had been "duly addressed".

Hundreds of objections to the plans were lodged when they were first announced, with the Hamsterley Forest Action Group saying it would turn the area "into a theme park" and harm local wildlife.

Residents also objected to the proposals over fears about the impact on water supplies.

South Bedburn Parish Council said revised planning documents submitted in March had failed to address concerns first raised more than a year later.

In its latest submission to Durham County Council's planners, the parish council said the plan would be the equivalent of building a village of a similar size to Hamsterley with "no mains water, no mains sewerage system, no public transport and no suitable road infrastructure".

Hamsterley Parish Council said the development would place an "unacceptable burden" on the C31 – the main route into Hamsterley – which had been closed since January 2023 with "no prospect of reopening".

It said the alternative route via the C30 required traffic to cross the historic Linburn Bridge, which it described as hazardous enough for the parish council to seek safety improvements, according to the Local Democracy Reporting service.

It said: "The parish council does not believe that it has the infrastructure or facilities to sustain this increase, nor should it be expected to do so."

Other objections from the Environment Agency and Woodland Trust highlighted concerns with potential flooding and drainage issues.

A spokesperson for Forest Holidays said "certain parties" had been "prolific" in producing material for objections.

"Unfortunately, a large amount of this has been based on misinformation, incorrect assumption and incorrect interpretation of the proposals at hand, together with a lack of understanding of policy, legislation and process.

"We do not propose to respond to individual comments other than to confirm that the relevant planning considerations, which have also been picked up by statutory consultees, have been duly addressed.

"However, should the local authority require our input in terms of any other points raised, then we would be happy to do so."

Durham County Council will determine the application in due course.

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