An ambitious vision for a “landmark” holiday resort from the man behind Alton Towers has sparked anger from the local church and the parish meeting.
Plans to transform Haveringland Hall County Park into a holiday resort have been submitted by John Broome, the founder of the Staffordshire theme park, and Grovesnor Parks Ltd.
If approved, the “five-star” resort would feature tipis, treehouses and entertainment facilities with room to accommodate up to 280 families.
But in a new objection letter to Broadland District Council, Haveringland Parish Meeting said the resort would spell “the incremental, piecemeal destruction of this site and a small rural community”.
Nigel Boldero, chair, said: “This will not be a ‘five-star’ development. The proposed units would be crammed together at a density twice that of the average for other sites, most of the units would be bland ‘could be anywhere’ boxes, and the development would directly and indirectly destroy the natural surroundings that are meant to be a major attraction.”
According to the planning documents, the holiday resort is projected to generate around £2m for the local economy.
But Mr Boldero said businesses were “fearful” of the development and added: “It seems likely that the site would not be ‘self contained’ but rather a touring base for people visiting the coast, Broads and Norwich and there would be very little local economic benefit.”
Havringland Parish Church have also objected to the plans and said the “human cost of the development would be significant.”
The Parochial Church Council said: “Haveringland is a dispersed settlement of dwellings where people enjoy the quiet and tranquillity of their rural setting. Existing residents of Haveringland Hall Park have chosen to live there precisely because of the tranquil setting and a genuine community has arisen there. The sheer scale of the proposed development will leave an indelible mark on the park and the wider parish.”
Mr Broome said the resort would “create a large number of jobs, will increase spending in the local economy and increase the profile of Norfolk as a holiday destination”.
He added the “comprehensive scheme” would “improve the overall quality, function and appearance of the site”.
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