Residents have vowed to battle to the bitter end to stop a proposal to transform a historic mansion in a quiet village into a 550-bed children’s holiday centre, despite being promised noise levels will be minimised.
Campaigners said while residents in villages south of Northallerton were “thoroughly sick” of fighting youngster’s breaks specialist PGL’s scheme for Newby Wiske Hall, it would be vital villagers displayed the strength of their opposition when Hambleton District Council’s planning committee reconsiders the scheme later this month.
The meeting over the former North Yorkshire Police headquarters site follows the council approving a similar plan in 2017, only for the council to concede its decisions should be quashed as it faced a judicial review.
The rallying cry from Newby Wiske Action Group (NWAG) follows the council publishing its latest report on the scheme, which includes a noise management plan by PGL that aims to use “all appropriate measures” to minimise the generation of noise on the 14.5-hectare site.
The officers’ report recommends the plan is approved, stating the public benefits would outweigh concerns such as noise generated by coach movements, or emanating from facilities such as giant swings, an abseil tower, a four-line zip wire and obstacle courses.
It states the proposal now features a “quiet zone” where no children would be allowed extending 60m from residents’ properties and a second zone where children’s access would be limited.
The report states alongside a spectrum of outdoor activities during the day, children would be offered further activities, such as games called Ambush, Capture The Flag, Splash and Wacky Races, as far as possible in the grounds from the homes until 9pm.
The report states: “Each session would be led by a PGL staff member and another supervising adult charged with ensuring that guests are managed appropriately.
“The participants in the activities would be mainly from schools and are a part of a local community and therefore are used to ensuring respect for neighbours.”
However, the report states while the planning committee cannot take property values into account a local estate agent had predicted property values in the village would fall by ten to 15 per cent if the application was approved.
David Stockport, of NWAG, rubbished the noise management plan, saying it featured measures such allowing grass to grow longer and building an earth bund.
He said: “The whole thing is outrageous, it’s totally in the wrong place. People moved here because it was tranquil and that will end.
“After three years of this, people are thoroughly sick of it. We have suffered three years of incompetence from the council – the village has gone through three years of hell, but we still hope people will show how sick they are of the plans by turning out for the planning meeting.”
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