Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Jon Cooper
Campaigners opposed to plans for a major water park scheme over fears for the environment and highways do not regard consultee Bassetlaw District Council’s decision to raise no objections over the project’s potential impact on its area’s heritage assets as significant.
Planning authority Bolsover District Council will take Bassetlaw council’s views into account as it continues to consider 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.
But Say No to the Wolf campaigners say they are not disappointed to learn Bassetlaw District Council has filed no objections concerning any potential impact on its many heritage assets.
A Say No to the Wolf campaign group spokesperson said: “Bolsover District’s Design Officers’ comments state that the proposed development will have major adverse visual impacts on several nearby grade 2 listed buildings.
“The officer also advises, a number of times, that significant adverse effects in landscape and visual impacts must be given substantial weight and to consider whether these harms are outweighed by the economic benefits of the development.
“We are therefore not disappointed by Bassetlaw’s comments because, as stated in their response, they are not near the proposed development.”
The proposed site for the Great Wolf Lodge water park resort is on 19.3 hectares of agricultural land between Barlborough, Clowne and Whitwell and could feature a seven-storey, 512-room hotel, a water park, an adventure park, conference facilities, restaurants and staff accommodation with associated access, parking and landscaping.
A Bassetlaw District Council spokesperson stated: “Given the distances involved, from a Bassetlaw perspective, it is not possible to sustain an objection on the grounds of impact on the experiential setting of any of the heritage assets within Bassetlaw.”
Bassetlaw District Council noted the proposed site is approximately two miles away from the nearest part of the Bassetlaw boundary, at its famous archaeological park Creswell Crags, and it forms part of the open countryside alongside the A619, north-east of Clowne and west of Whitwell.
It considered its range of heritage assets along the western edge of Bassetlaw, close to the county boundary, and stipulated that any ‘impacts are limited’ and that the site is a considerable distance from the Bassetlaw boundary.
Some of the heritage assets considered included Welbeck Abbey, approximately two miles to the south east, including a range of higher grade listed buildings, Holbeck Conservation Area also including several listed buildings, as well as Creswell Crags.
Others included Shireoaks Hall, to the north east, which is part of the Shireoaks Conservation Area and includes listed buildings, and Harness Grove, along the A619, as well Worksop Manor on the A60 and many other individual listed buildings including at Harness Grove and Ratcliffe Grange.
Bassetlaw District Council’s Economic Development Team have also supported the principle of the development subject to evidence over claims the scheme will create a significant number of jobs with a commitment to apprenticeships, with appropriate transport arrangements, visitor economy benefits and supply chain opportunities for businesses.
A Bassetlaw District Council spokesperson added: “Given the scale of the proposed water park, hotel, restaurant and conference facilities, the application appears likely to generate substantial economic benefits through employment, tourism and inward investment, provided these benefits are robustly evidenced within the Environmental Statement and accompanying economic assessments.”
However, the council has recognised the scheme will have a potential impact on Bassetlaw’s highways network and it has, in its submission, dated July 10, urged Bolsover District Council to consult with Nottinghamshire County Council’s highways authority on whether the scheme would have a detrimental impact on highways safety in Bassetlaw which lies in North Nottinghamshire.
Say No to the Wolf campaigners fear the scheme will have a huge impact on the environment, highways and wildlife.
Clowne Garden Village Action Group campaigners, opposed to the separate Waystone Ltd housing scheme for 1,800 homes between Clowne and Barlborough, which has outline approval, also agree with the Say No to the Wolf group that any additional developments such as the water park scheme could have a combined detrimental effect on highways and environment.
Say No to the Wolf campaigners claim the water park’s progress could rely heavily on the housing scheme which has been disputed by the council and Great Wolf who have argued the two plans are separate and being addressed independently.
But 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 Bolsover District Council’s Local Plan by causing what it claims will be significant harm to the character, quality and distinctiveness of the 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.
The spokesperson also 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.
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 spokesperson Dominic Webb has also raised potential concerns that the Great Wolf scheme could pose noise, drainage and flood risks with an impact on the area’s ecology, biodiversity and air quality.
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.
It has also stated that guests tend to arrive gradually at different times at its water parks rather than all together despite concerns that such developments may create traffic problems.
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 also explained that 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.
Bolsover District Council Leader, Cllr Jane Yates, has stated the council regards the water park scheme as an exciting project that appears to meet one of the council’s key priorities – growth – with the creation of jobs while providing leisure opportunities.
