Decision time for Northumberland holiday complex

Jun 15 2010 by David Black, The Journal

A FLAGSHIP holiday complex planned for the Northumberland countryside is set to be approved tomorrow - despite a claim that it will be built too close to a major wind farm.

Supporters of the eco-friendly Waterfalls park and equestrian centre next to the A68 near Wark – who include TV ecologist Dr David Bellamy – say it will attract high-spending tourists, create 67 direct and indirect jobs and pump £1.7m a year into the rural economy.

However, a decision was put on hold three months ago following an objection from energy company Wind Prospect Developments, which was recently given the go-ahead by the Secretary of State for an 18-turbine wind farm at nearby Green Rigg Fell.

Wind Prospect claims it would be ‘inappropriate’ to build the holiday park so close to its turbines, and says applicant Waterfalls Estate has failed to take proper account of the presence of the wind farm.

Tomorrow, county councillors will be recommended by planning officials to approve the Waterfalls scheme, which is the brainchild of young entrepreneur Sherod Walker, 24.

They say its tourism, employment and economic benefits outweigh the fact that it breaches planning policies aimed at protecting the open countryside against major developments.

Waterfalls Estate will be required to ensure that the holiday chalets and cottages are sufficiently soundproofed that visitors will not have their sleep disturbed by noise from the Green Rigg turbines, the nearest of which will be 450 metres away.

The Waterfalls scheme, which is also supported by Northumberland Tourism and a number of local businesses and residents, will include 18 chalets, three cottages, a 16-horse equestrian centre and carriage house, a fitness suite, restaurant, swimming pool, sauna, shop and combined heat and power plant.

In March, it was revealed that Wind Prospect had lodged an objection to the plans, before its Green Rigg wind farm was approved following a public inquiry.

In an ironic twist on the argument that wind farms harm tourist businesses, Wind Prospect claimed that the holiday plans were deficient and failed to properly assess the impact on its 36-megawatt wind farm.

In a 42-page objection the company said the scheme was clearly contrary to the existing development plan, and also questioned the employment claims and said the contribution to the local economy has been overstated.

County councillors deferred a decision to allow environmental and noise assessments to be carried out, and a report to tomorrow’s west area planning committee says the Waterfalls scheme can now be approved with a number of conditions. Northumberland Tourism says it will add to the county’s growing reputation as a high-quality rural destination, while Dr Bellamy – who has visited the site – claims it will be ‘one of the best things to happen in Northumberland since the Romans left the wall’.

Mr Walker, who has spent more than two years working on the project, has said he was surprised by the Wind Prospect objection, as the wind energy industry had previously suggested that turbines and tourism were highly compatible.

The report to tomorrow’s committee says Waterfalls is an exciting concept which would provide a new type of holiday facility for the county.