Farley Moor in Matlock Forest is under threat
Forestry England is backing plans for a massive £30million complex of lodges, roads and service buildings, akin to building a small village in the heart of these public woodlands.
A private company, Forest Holidays, intends to build a huge holiday complex in the heart of this peaceful wildlife-rich place.
HELP US SAVE FARLEY MOOR FROM THE DEVELOPERS
A woodland for recreation
Matlock Forest was identified by the last government as a small forest unit meeting local needs: small amounts of timber extraction, nature conservation and low key recreation, such as dog-walking, horse-riding and mountain-biking.
In Forestry England’s 2014-24 management plan for the woods, informal local recreation only was to be promoted. Now, out of the blue, Forestry England is backing plans for a massive £30million complex of lodges, roads and service buildings, akin to building a small village in the heart of these public woodlands. A private company, Forest Holidays intend to build a huge holiday complex in the heart of this peaceful wildlife-rich place.
Excluding the general public - bringing noise and pollution
Matlock Forest is one of the smallest Forestry England sites at 483ha and it is markedly smaller than other sites where Forest Holidays have built their lodges, such as Delamere Forest at 972ha, Thetford Forest at 18,730ha, Dalby Forest at 3,575ha and the Forest of Dean at 10,500ha.
The proposed lodges at Farley Moor will cover 25% of the public forest estate at Matlock – excluding the public and bringing noise and disturbance from cars, lights and pollution.
More traffic and more congestion
Hundreds of car movements a day will clog the network of local roads: roads with no pavements, poor camber, flooding and bad sight-lines. The steep, winding road leading into Farley and Matlock will be congested with cars, families on bikes and walkers.
Little thought has been given to their safety and impacts on local people.
Wetlands destroyed and over stretched sewers
The fragile wetland on Farley Moor will be drained to accommodate the lodges and one has to wonder where the rainwater will go: into Matlock’s existing over-stretched sewers?
The planning application
Derbyshire Dales District Council will be considering the planning application for Farley Moor (Reference 24/00665/FUL) in the next few weeks. Of course, they have to balance job creation and the economy with the environment, but in this instance the balance is wholly the wrong way.
Please let your local councillors know what you think of these plans.
Help save Matlock Forest
Please help save Matlock Forest for its wildlife and for the many thousands of local people who escape to its tracks and paths to be close to nature and for thinking time away from busy lives.