Derbyshire campaigners hold rally at council offices against proposed Bolsover water park
An indoor water park is planned is planned at Whitwell Common near Clowne
Derbyshire campaigners held a rally outside council offices to express their opposition to plans for a proposed water park resort near several villages over fears it will pose increased traffic problems and environmental harm combined with a separate, massive housing scheme.
Bolsover District Council is considering Great Lakes UK Ltd And Waystone Ltd’s planning application for a Great Wolf Resorts’ indoor water park and resort on land south of Worksop Road, at Whitwell Common, after already giving outline approval for the nearby Clowne Garden Village housing scheme.
But Say No to the Wolf campaign group supporters gathered outside the council’s offices, at The Arc, in Clowne, on May 13, to voice their concerns to the authority’s planning committee which was meeting to consider other matters not relating to the water park.
A campaign group spokesperson said: “The scale and density and bulk of the proposed development is excessive for its plot and it should be considered as an over-development when weighed against Clowne Garden Village.
“It’s uncharacteristic of the local land area and the magnitude of the impact to the landscape is severe and negative.”
The proposal for a Great Wolf Lodge water park resort planned on 19.3 hectares of agricultural land between Barlborough, Clowne and Whitwell includes a hotel, a water park, a family entertainment centre, conferencing facilities, restaurants, staff accommodation, and a 900-space car park with associated access and landscaping.
Clowne Garden Village Action Group campaigners, opposed to the separate Waystones Ltd housing scheme for 1,800 homes between Clowne and Barlborough, which has outline approval, also fear any additional developments such as the water park scheme could have a combined detrimental effect for the region’s highways and environment.
Say No to the Wolf campaigners have raised fears about the combined impact of the two schemes claiming the water park’s progress will rely heavily on the housing scheme which has been disputed by the council and Great Wolf who have argued the two sets of plans are separate and being addressed independently.
But the Say No to the Wolf campaigners claim the water park scheme will pose increased traffic problems and environmental harm to the region alongside the Clowne Garden Village scheme.
They argue the region will be subjected to different groups of motorists with the majority using the M1 motorway combining with increased traffic from the Clowne Garden Village and other housing developments which it argues will be contrary to the council’s Local Plan by causing what it claims will be significant harm to the character, quality and distinctiveness of the landscape.
The campaigners claim the scheme contradicts planning policy in that the development should not be allowed on this grade of land and there is a need to protect, enhance and respect the form, scale and character of this landscape.
A Say No to the Wolf spokesperson also fears the resort will also cause light pollution affecting nocturnal wildlife and that the the American Lodge aesthetic of the resort’s design will alter the identity of the area.
She claims any construction employment for the scheme will only provide a negligible local benefit, that any new staff positions at the resort will be mainly for lower skilled and lower paid employees, and that most visitor spending will only take place at the resort.
The group fears a poor decision could change the lay of the land, environment and habitat forever and leave the area with a regrettable lasting legacy.
Clowne Parish Council has objected to the scheme based on its scale, feared noise, disturbance, over-development, highways safety and increased traffic with a suspected lack of local economic benefit alongside concerns for drainage and flood risks as well as its impact on the environment.
Whitwell Parish Council has also objected to the scheme ‘ in the strongest terms’ on the grounds of its scale and because it feels the applicant has not researched the area and that the proposal is fundamentally inappropriate for the location and conflicts with both the National Planning Policy Framework and the adopted Bolsover Local Plan.
Clowne Garden Village Action Group campaigner Dom Webb argued it is necessary for the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to determine the water park application due to the proximity of the scheme to the approved Clowne Garden Village scheme which involves the same applicant Waystone amidst concerns about the potential impact on highways, the environment, wildlife, drainage and flooding.
Mr Webb has argued that Derbyshire County Council’s highway authority has recommended the matter be deferred and delayed until all its concerns have been addressed and that no progress should be permitted until Active Travel England’s concerns and position is fully known.
He outlined grounds for the ‘call-in’ based on concerns over the scheme’s potential climate change impacts, the potential highways carbon impact, and what he claims is a need for the applicant’s Transport Assessment to address the carbon reduction hierarchy guidelines.
Mr Webb also argued the water park scheme should be considered alongside the Clowne Garden Village scheme and it will be necessary to consider the effects of both developments combined on traffic, heritage, landscape and air quality.
In addition, he is arguing that Active Travel England and Derbyshire County Council’s highways authority have both indicated there is not sufficient sustainable travel links around the water park site for non-car travel including cycle routes, bus and rail stops.
Mr Webb’s other concerns include potential noise, drainage and flood risks and the impact on the area’s ecology, biodiversity and air quality from the water park scheme.
But Great Wolf Resorts hopes its scheme may create about 600 jobs and attract visitors with possible ‘day passes’ previously proposed for residents to access facilities without having to book accommodation.
Planning documents state the scheme has the potential to result in significant direct investment in the area and to serve as a positive catalyst for future development.
Great Wolf Resorts has said the scheme could deliver significant economic, social and environmental benefits and it estimates that the increased number of visitors if the proposed development gets the go-ahead would lead to £1m of additional spend per year to the area.
And despite concerns that such developments may create traffic problems, Great Wolf stated this will not be the case as guests tend to arrive gradually at different times rather than all together.
Bolsover District Council has also insisted the timing of the proposed location for a new multi-million pound leisure resort on the outskirts of Clowne has not been influenced by plans for the housing scheme.
Great Wolf argued that most families will travel from neighbouring areas and stay overnight so its choice of location is more focused on accessibility and is not related to or dependent on the Clowne Garden Village scheme and there will be no set change-over-days, arrival windows or departure times for guests which helps to reduce traffic levels.
A Great Wolf spokesperson argued traffic studies and reports indicate that even during peak arrival time there would only be an additional two cars per minute with a negligible impact on the environment.
The company also intends to operate a minibus service from stations to the resort and proposals also include active travel with footway improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and other forms of non-automated travel.
It explained it aims to re-wild 5.7 hectares to the west of the site and there are plans to plant thousands of trees on the site with improvements to hedgerows around the periphery promoting a better environment with a significant biodiversity net gain.
Council Leader, Cllr Jane Yates, has stated the council regards the water park scheme as an exciting project that appears to meet one of its key priorities – growth – with the creation of jobs while providing leisure opportunities.
Mr Webb has appealed to the Court of Appeal in his latest bid for a judicial review into the Clowne Garden Village scheme with concerns about the arrangements to secure ‘£1.5m’ of SEND funding from the developers after an initial appeal to a high court for a judicial review into the housing plans was recently refused.
Bolsover District Council was approached for a comment regarding the Say No to the Wolf campaigners’ latest rally but at the time of publication it had not yet responded.