Hotel plans face opposition (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Hotel plans face opposition

PLANS for a massive hotel and leisure complex near Fairford are being vehemently opposed at a local level.

Outline planning permission is being sought for a hotel with leisure facilities, 48 apartments and 152 pavilions around three lakes in the Eastern Water Park.

Tomorrow is the last day of public consultation, while Cotswold District Council is due to decide the provisional application on November 2.

And if permission is granted developers Cygnet Investments (CI) can then produce more detailed plans for the real planning application.

CI managing director Mark Savage said: "We have been speaking a great deal with the planners at CDC and if it goes in this year then all well and good.

"We are not looking to hang around but to move as quickly as possible - the eastern side of the water park is keen to get more tourism and a balance with the western side.

"We had a meeting with the Cotswold Water Park Society and it was very keen for our plans because it felt the Eastern Water Park needed tourism accommodation."

CI's draft planning application addresses numerous issues relating to the large-scale development, including the environment, drainage and car parking.

Financial contributions towards the maintenance of the A417 are also addressed.

One draft document says: "The developer will fund the necessary works to the A417 in the vicinity of the site to be carried out either by the developer or by Gloucestershire County Council."

It also states that the leisure complex will be made "available for use by the public by way of a club membership scheme", while the residential pavilions and apartments will have "a maximum occupation of 11 calendar months in any year."

But at a special meeting last Wednesday Fairford Town Council voted to object to the development.

Fairford Environmental Society is also campaigning hard against the application and has launched a campaign website.

The society believes the lakes should be forever protected from development for both environmental and economic reasons.

A spokesman said: "The density of the development is much too intensive and will put a strain on local services.

"Furthermore, the local roads will not cope with the extra traffic generated and there will a loss of amenity to local people.

"The construction period is to be five years. So there will be upheaval on the site for a long time with the extra lorries and noise. Will the wildlife be able to put up with this or just go away forever?" Visit www.saveourlake.co.uk