Campaigners fear proposed forest holiday site in Derbyshire woodland will mean increased traffic and loss of trees

Forest Holidays, which is the commercial arm of Forestry England, has submitted a planning application to Derbyshire Dales District Council to consider plans for 75 timber cabins in 140 acres of woodland at Farley Moor, off Farley Lane, near Matlock.

A Save Farley Woods campaigner said: “If you walk in Farley Woods or bird watch, cycle or walk your dog, you will need to know there is a planning application with the council to build 75 cabins in the woods.”

The campaign group is concerned the proposed scheme will bring new roads, lights and hot tubs with the removal of trees and the disturbance of wildlife releasing peat into the atmosphere.

Some residents have raised objections including concerns about potential noise, increased traffic congestion, road safety, access, loss of trees and the impact on wildlife, and the over-saturation of the area’s holiday market.

Matlock resident Tracey Stayner said: “Farley Moor is a beautiful natural woodland that should be preserved as such. This proposal threatens to transform an important natural space into a commercial venture, compromising its natural beauty for future generations.

“Cutting down all the trees to allow 75 holiday homes is a disgrace and unacceptable. We have already lost a huge amount of trees on Matlock Moor recently. The Matlock area already has a highly saturated holiday let market.

“The additional supply of holiday units is not required as the demand is sufficiently met by current facilities. The development will undoubtedly increase the cars on the already overwhelmed local road network. The road is dark – no street lights – potholed, soft verged and often flooded with no footpath and poor visibility.

“The road is completely unsuitable for pedestrians and, or cyclists .The suggestion that visitors can walk to Matlock is very misleading.”

The Council for the Protection of Rural England has objected to the scheme claiming there is not enough justification why the tourism will not effect the ecosystem and neighbourhood and that there is insufficient infrastructure to cope with an increasing number of people.

It also argues that Derbyshire Wildlife Trust believes the development will threaten northern Farley Moor which is a crucial area for birds.

The Clean Rivers Trust has also objected to the scheme due to concerns about a feared threat of harm from the proposed development to others’ water supply in the area.

However, Matlock Town Council, Natural England and Derbyshire County Council’s Highways department have raised no objections but the county council stated that it would welcome improvements to the planned site’s access and junctions.

Applicant Andrew Brook, of Forest Holidays, has confirmed the development will use a third of the 440-acre Farley Moor which is managed by Forestry England and the proposed site aims to accommodate 185 people.

The scheme features plans for nine one-bed cabins, 35 two-bed cabins, 22 three-bed cabins, five four-bed cabins and four five-bed treehouse cabins.

Plans also include proposals for a reception, shop, cafe, maintenance building and outdoor play area, a ranger station, storage pods, recycling points, ancillary roads, paths, and an archery range as well as 249 parking spaces, according to the BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The applicant also hopes the scheme will create 48 new jobs increasing to 57 new jobs within three years.

Mr Brook has stated that some of the money generated by the scheme will go back into woodland management and that the scheme will boost the local economy.

He added that the design of the holiday park will be sensitive to the environment and will bring benefits with a management plan to bring in a more diverse forest canopy.

The Save Farley Woods campaign group is holding a public meeting for those with concerns about the proposed development at The Whitworth, on Station Road, at Darley Dale, from 7pm, on October 22.