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CHESHIRE GROUP of ENDURANCE GB | |
DELAMERE THREAT
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Set out below is the main content of an email forwarded to us. The Vale Royal Planning website confirms the existence of the Planning Application. Go to this web page - Public Access - and follow the instructions and links to gain access and then do a "Property Search" on "Delamere Forest Park" when in. The Forestry Commission at Grizedale have failed to reply to our emailed request for a plan. This Forestry Commission site gives an idea of what to expect - Go Ape. If you think this will affect you (and it seems likely to affect Cheshire Group rides) then please take whatever action you feel appropriate. *Note* - The Vale Royal website states :- "Expiry Date for Latest Site Notice: 19/01/2006" and "Overall Expiry Date: 26/01/2006" so it may well be worth commenting after the date 15/01/2006 referred to in the message below. |
| The message - A high wire activity course "Go-Ape" facility will open at Linmere. ... The FC ... have started construction last week without waiting to get planning consent and it will be operational in March. It will operate 7 days a week until 9pmish. ... I was at the planners today to see the detailed plans of exactly where the high wires and netting will be placed. I have just discovered that they intend to put the high wires ABOVE THE PATH AROUND THE LAKE. This means that any rider leaving Whitefield (Christmas Tree) carpark, when they cross the road, will after several hundred metres, discover high wires above them with screaming teenagers hurtling past them. You cannot deviate down the first or second tracks to the left because that will take you even deeper into the aerial acrobatics & mayhem. There is no escape to the right because that is the lake! I spoke to the planning officer. She struggled to understand why the horses could not just go underneath - what was the problem (with people unpredictably zipping above you on high wires, screaming while they go??) There is NO OTHER PROPER CROSSING PLACE FROM WHITEFIELD INTO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FOREST. So anyone parking there is effectively marooned. I am stunned at the stupidity and thoughtlessness of it all. If you can be bothered, please send your objections to the siting of these high wires above the path around the Blakemere Moss to Vale Royal Borough Planners and copy your objections to the Delamere Forest manager and the Grizedale regional manager Graeme Prest who is Simon's boss. Simon claims the plans were all from the land agent (Mike Tomlins) based at Grizedale and are not of his doing. These folks are all available by email. It might be worth stating in your emails that given that there will be no safe track out of Whitefield into the rest of forest, you will now come and park your horseboxes at Linmere. (Apparanty the access to Linmere is the only thing that could conceivably snarl this up.) Planning: hleggett@valeroyal.gov.uk Mrs Helen Leggett - Application 05-1693-FUL High ropes activity course, reception unit /cabin and shelter Forestry Commission: simon.hough@forestry.gsi.gov.uk graeme.prest@forestry.gsi.gov.uk mike.tomlins@forestry.gsi.gov.uk Spread the word and see if you can get folks to fire off emails. They need to be in soon - by 15th January. Please see *Note* above regarding this date. - end of message. |