‘Save our forest’ is the desperate cry for help from members of the Hamsterley Forest Action
Group after a planning application that they believe will change this much loved area of our Dale
beyond description, has been submitted.
Hamsterley Forest Action group is a community- based group with the aim to oppose the
proposed development by Forest Holidays in Hamsterley Forest of 70 cabins and GO Ape
activities. There will also be a requirement to build a new spur road, through the Forest, solely to
access the holiday accommodation. This will result in the further destruction of trees and habitats
in order to achieve this. The consequence of these building projects is a level of development
that will irreplaceably damage the fragile forest environment, leading to an increase in noise,
pollution, wildlife disturbance and abolish the oasis of tranquillity.
A planning application that has been received by Durham County Council and will be decided
upon very soon with a deadline for objections being December 4 th , has caused consternation
bordering on distress for both local people and those who know and love the forest from other
parts of the country. Forest England along with Forest Holidays and Adventure Forest (Go Ape)
have submitted the application, which has various aspects to it, including the building of eco
cabins with hot tubs, a Go Ape Experience, a large camping site as well as a 40-bed bunkhouse,
new café and more.
The application describes a new ‘Masterplan’ for the forest, including a replacement visitor
centre. The action group say this will change the forest as we know it and how it has been known
for generations. They point to a number of reasons against the application, including the fact that
there is no mains water supply and the fear that those behind the application plan to release
waste water and sewage into the nearby water course. They fear that the increase in traffic will
adversely affect surrounding roads and villages, including Hamsterley and Wolsingham. The
roads are not fit for modern-day traffic and indeed the main road into the village of Hamsterley
has been closed for almost four years with no sign of a new one to be built any time soon.
Objectors are also worried about the adverse effect on the wildlife in and around the forest,
which is nationally renowned. Many objectors believe that the visitor centre could indeed do with
a make-over and do welcome visitors, indeed many of them ARE visitors to the area. They come
because of the natural environment, the natural beauty of the forest, which objectors say will be
destroyed with this proposed development.
Almost 300 extra car parking spaces is included in the planning application and the applicants
agree that the proposed area is on a flood plain. They also admit that protected and priority
species will be affected by the proposals and that designated sites, important habitat and other
biodiversity features may also be affected. It is also stated on the application form that the
proposed site includes irreplaceable habitats in relation to the 2023 law on biodiversity habitats.
The site will be visible from nearby roads and worryingly, the applicants were given pre-
submission advice by an officer from the planning department whose name has been redacted
from the public record of this planning application, giving rise to the suspicion that the local
authority is expecting a large number of objections, which indeed has already happened. The
action group, however, are urging Dalefolk to read the application and submit their own objection
if they have one.
“Part of the planning application asks if the applicant is the sole owner of the land and the yes
box is ticked,” said one angry objector. “I maintain that this land doesn’t belong to one person or
organisation, it belongs to us. It’s public land and we should have our objections taken seriously.
“This will change the forest as we know it. It will destroy it in my opinion.”
The application consists of over 200 pages and includes professional assessments of birds,
reptiles, mammals, bats, biodiversity among others as well as an aquatic ecology report, a
lighting management strategy and so much more.
Another objector noted that the forest is not served by a bus route and that the numbers of
cars, likely the majority being non-electric vehicles, would increase pollution, affecting humans
and animals. Another objection was that the development of the lodges will impact on the dark
skies’ viewpoints on the adjacent north Pennines with light pollution. There is also the impact to
ground nesting birds in the breeding season from construction and visitors from the development.
There will be issues from the borehole water extraction on the surrounding area and peat lands
on the north Pennines, especially during the summer months due to the large amount of water to
be extracted for the facilities and hot tubs.
A regular visitor who lives near Durham made the following comment, which resonated with
many like-minded people: ‘This beautiful place should be left unspoiled to be enjoyed as a place
where nature and people can co exist. Please do not turn it into a centre parcs, there are plenty
of those, let us enjoy the beauty for what it is.’
Hamsterley Parish Council was the first to object to the proposals and sent in a letter of
objection:
‘Whilst the application was anticipated, and indeed in September Forestry England organised
a meeting with the Parish Councils of both South Bedburn and Hamsterley to explain its
proposals in draft, we did not become aware that the application had been submitted until 14th
November 2024; and the first opportunity which we had to consider it was at a Parish Council
meeting on 22nd November 2024.
‘ Although we have not yet had an opportunity to consider all of the 218 supporting documents
in any detail, we do have some preliminary concerns about the accuracy of the evidence relating
to traffic and transport links. For example, the number of cars recorded in the Traffic Survey at
paragraph 3.4.1 of the Transport Statement are at wide variance with our own recent traffic
surveys; possibly due to the fact that the applicant’s transport survey relies upon data from
August 2021, when the country was just emerging from the 3rd national Covid lockdown. We
would therefore respectfully request a full up to date traffic assessment.
Similarly, the reference to 3 buses is inaccurate, as neither the village of Hamsterley nor
Hamsterley Forest are serviced by any public buses (other than school buses).
We are also concerned that, despite the large number of documents supporting the
application, we could find no Landscape Impact Assessment, nothing within the Lighting
Assessment dealing with the impact of the proposed lighting on wildlife, no noise pollution
assessment, nothing to address how the proposed properties will be supplied with power, very
little to explain how the sewage will be disposed of, and no evidence that there will be the
required biodiversity net gain of 10%.
We do, however, note that since the application was first accepted, an additional Borehole
Feasibility document has been added; and it may be that further documents dealing with the
other apparent omissions will be lodged in the future. We understand that the application will
need to be considered by the planning committee, but that is unlikely to occur until Spring 2025
at the earliest. Given that there are some 218 documents to be reviewed, and given the
importance of the application to the local community, we understand that Durham County Council
has kindly granted South Bedburn Parish Council until the end of January 2025 to make
representations, and we respectfully request a similar extension. Our next Council meeting is not
until 9th January 2025, and such an extension would therefore give us the opportunity to
consider the application in more detail, and to provide a properly considered response.’
If you would like to view the application and make a comment on it go to:
https://publicaccess.durham.gov.uk/online-applications/search
