The Campsite Proposal

CONTENTS

Summary of Campsite Planning Application

New! Letters from Forrestry Commission & David Miliband, HM Secretary of State (DEFRA)

The Campsite Planning Application

  582 representations against versus 3 in favour!

The application to turn nearly 40 acres of this ancient forest into a campsite was withdrawn on 9th March ...this may not be the end of the story but for now it's...

....VICTORY!

Mr Jonathan Clothier,the man who wanted to build a campsite in Alice Holt Forest has withdrawn his application. This was partly due to the withdrawal of support by The Forestry Commission. The FC were concerned among other things about the likely damage to their own network of Environmental Change Network plots which the Alice Holt Scientists use to participate in global climate change monitoring and other important long-term data collection projects.

Plus the writing was on the wall for this "pseudo-ecological" proposal when Natural England (Formerly known as English Nature) joined the overwhelming consensus that this proposal was bad for the environment, bad for wildlife and bad for our precious remaining Ancient Woodland.

So well done to Colin Hall and his colleagues on the Alice Holt Action Group who tirelessly coordinated the opposition of so many groups and individuals. And well done to all those who put up posters, gave out flyers, passed on e-mails and generally harangued in order to raise awareness of the scheme and prevent it going right under the public's radar.

THANKS TO…

The HUNDREDS of residents from all over the local area who made the effort to write or e-mail the EHDC Planning Department. Thanks too to those from far and wide, including even Germany and Austria who sent objections or messages of support!

Remember: When we started this campaign there were only days to go before the original deadline and only SEVEN objections.

These are just a few of those who sent official objections and/or joined our efforts to have this stopped      >>click here<<

GOING FORWARD...  The Alice Holt Action Group is taking stock and will consider it’s strategy going forward to be ready should this proposal, or something similar come back on the agenda. They have won an important victory for common sense . But there's sadly every liklihood that, so long as certain sections of Forest Enterprise and misguided "eco-businessmen" like Mr Clothier see Alice Holt only as a leisure resource to be exploited for financial gain, similar ideas could be re-introduced at any time.

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Summary of the campsite planning application.

Mr J.Clothier, a local businessman, TV Producer and self-proclaimed "conservationist" teamed up with Forest Enterprise (The commercial Arm of the Forestry Commission) to propose a supposedly "Eco-friendly" campsite covering some 30-40 acres of the Forest. The proposed location was in the Old Arboretum, part of the Lodge Enclosure.It lies between the path from Bentley Station to Alice Holt Lodge (Starting near the pond at the "Crossroads")and the Gravel Hill Road which gives access to the forest from the A31 and the A325 at Holt Pound.

The campsite was to accommodate up to 200 holiday-malkers in 40 huge permanent "tents" together with two large buildings for communal activities and associated toilet and washing facilities. Further car parking was proposed accessed from the narrow and dangerous (But beautiful!) Gravel Hill Road, despite Mr Clothier's amazing assertion that the campers would predominently come by train!

The plans which can be viewed at East Hampshire District Council's website were sketchy and very badly prepared. They gave few details of the inevitable infrastructure such as fencing, mains electricity, lighting or details of the policy on access, times of operation ,security out of season etc.

A lightwight and hopelessly incorrect ecological statement accompanied the plans, attempting to present them as good for wildlife (Through various cosmetic "conservation" measures such as putting up nest-boxes and leaving piles of logs for beetles) and as good for public access to a "Neglected" and "Underutilised" part of the Forest (Actually one of the most popular areas for ramblers, bird-watchers,dog walkers, horse riders, cyclists and those who just enjoy roaming freely in this beautiful area).

The scheme was kept very low profile in the hope that it could sneak in under the Public's radar as a minor "Change of use" application, despite the massive impact and huge implications for other ancient woodlands.

Luckily,with only days to go and with Forest Enterprise ready to jump the gun and start felling 200 year-old oak trees to make way for the "tents" (Under the guise of "Routine thinning") the scheme came to everyone's attention . This was thanks to a number of individuals and groups including the Alice Holt Action Group, The Herald newspaper, BBC South Today and Binsted Parish Council. This raised awareness sufficiently and the objections began to flood in!

EHDC first granted one, then a second extention given the obvious public concern and lack of proper scrutiny so far. In addition to literally hundreds of letters from local residents and friends of the Forest from further afield, many substantive objections were received from conservation organisations (Including EHDC's own County Ecologists), eminent experts ,interest groups and politicians representing the area right up to European level.Despite being in a difficult position ,many Forestry Commission employees made their own concerns plain.

Following a site visit at which no less than 120 members of the public turned out to question the Council's North Planning Committee and give their views to Mr Clothier (who to be fair took even the more robust comments in good spirit)it became increasingly apparent that the proposal had no support from the public, the environmental experts or the Councillors. Even the Forestry Commission was uneasy about many aspects of the scheme. The formerly uncritical Planning Officers at EHDC began to distance themselves from the plans and eventually Mr Clothier bowed to the inevitable and threw in the towel rather than risk outright rejection.

>>See the representations of the experts

>>Read the press coverage

So the battle may be won. But what about the War?

Forest Enterprise did see merit in this scheme, although many of their vemployess and others in the wider Forestry Commission took a dim view of it. Forest Entrprise has to try and make money, which it struggles to do from timber. And it also has to meet criteria such as promoting public access. When the chance to make money and tick some boxes on the public access front come together it's clearly tempting for FE to jump at the chance, even if there is a serious conflict with its conservation mandate.

First there was the "Centre Parcs" proposal ...well actually that was a red herring. FE never proposed or supported any such idea. However FE have gained permission for a "Go Ape" adventure playground and new restaurant at the already over-devloped Dockenfield visitor centre. This is at least a concentrated area but it now resembles any other dreary "Organised Family Fun" development rather than part of an ancient Forest where Kings once hunted and cottagers once pastured their swine.We must hope that further pressure to create leisure facilities will not spill over into the relatively undisturbed parts of the Forest.

This is not just a local issue. Although Mr Clothier painted us as "Priviledged locals" only seeking to air their N.I.M.B.Y. grievences, the issues go much wider than this particular corner of the Hampshire Surrey borders. Many of the endangered species to which Alice Holt provides a refuge are protected at National and even International level. And Mr Clothier openly acknowledged his plan for a chain of such campsites accross the South East. Conservationists and Forest-lovers everywhere beware!

And with Forest Enterprise still making huge losses, there's at leat a risk that the more misguided of these "Guardians of our public heritage" team up with unaccountable businessmen and cynical planners to bring in another such scheme.We sincerely hope not But there have been rumours that the Alice Holt Research Station may be closed and the scientists re-located to a consolidated facility elsewhere.Were that to happen the pressures for all-out, bricks-and-mortar commercialisation of the site would be huge.

Letters received from DEFRA and The Forestry Commission seek to reassure. But nobody will ever say "Never". And even ikf they did, policy changes. So vigilance is called for.

>>Letter from Rt Hon David Miliband MP,Secretary of State (DEFRA)

>>Letter from Forestry Commission to Alice Holt Action Group

Unfortunately strenuous efforts were made to keep Alice Holt (Summarily re-named from Royal Forest to "Woodland Park" by some unaccountable bureaucrat) out of the coming South Downs National Park. Experience elsewhere has shown that the areas immediately outside National Park boundaries are subject to unprecedented pressure for development in the hope that allowing despoilation of a few such "Honeypot" sites will balance the strict contols inside the National Park proper.

So watch out, keep your eyes and ears open ...and be ready for the next scheme to reduce a priceless part of our Ancient Woodland heritage to little more than a suburban recreation ground.

The above link should take you straight to the planning proposal, however if it should not work you need to:

Click on this link:

East Hampshire County Council Website - Home page
then click on the link on the left - 'planning'
click again on the 'Search Planning Applications' link click 'I Agree'
then enter the Application no: F.20985/040/FUL in the 'Search' box and click 'Search'

The application : Mr J Clothier Land north of Research Centre, Alice Holt Lodge, Gravel Hill Road, Holt Pound, Farnham, GU10 4LH :
CHANGE OF WOODLAND AND CAR PARK TO SEASONAL CAMPING AREA WITH ASSOCIATED PARKING (REVISED APPLICATION TYPE)
will appear and you can click on the link       >> F.20985/040/FUL > >      which should take into the application itself.

The Alice Holt Action Group

.....was formed to fight a similar proposal some years ago to build a "Center Parcs" holiday camp in the Forest and continues to be the most active and authoritative group monitoring proposals that affect the Forest. This website is independent from AHAG but we fully support their aims.

  Contact Chairman, Colin Hall at CHall3422@AOL.com