Lyme Regis wood 'may be sold' (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Lyme Regis wood 'may be sold'

11:50am Thursday 5th November 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

THE owner of a Lyme Regis wood has warned he could be forced to sell out to a large ‘hard-nosed’ company after his controversial plans for eco homes were refused.

Quentin Craven has accused objectors of ‘spreading lies’ and ‘creating hysteria’ after planners threw out proposals to build two low-energy chalets in the Pound Street wood. Mr Craven is now considering an offer to sell the wood – also known as Whistler’s Wood – to a commercial firm.

He said: “A large company has offered me quite a reasonable chunk of money for it and my suspicion is if they get hold of it they would be far more hard-nosed.

“They would lean on the council and do something far less environmentally-friendly than what we were hoping for.

“Then the district council, town council and townspeople would have shot themselves in the foot because of the ridiculous attitude they have taken towards this progressive plan.

“They would bulldoze their way through, using every single loophole and Government agency to get it done.

“If I’m forced to do that I shall be really sorry to see the woodland go, but part of me thinks ‘sod the lot of you – it’s what you deserve’.”

District planner Darren Rogers said the development would significantly ‘erode the character’ of the wood and result in a ‘cramped’ character.

Mr Rogers said it would also affect neighbours by spoiling their outlook and causing increased traffic.

He was also concerned that the long-term retention of the trees would be ‘compromised’.

Neighbours objected to the plans, claiming the wood should be preserved for the community and held in trust.

Lyme Regis Town Council backed the objectors, agreeing the future of the wood should be safeguarded, and recommended to West Dorset District Council that the plans should be refused.

Mr Craven said the arguments were ‘short-sighted’, and his ‘progressive’ plans would have in fact protected the wood for decades to come.

“There has been an incredible lack of short-sightedness, vision and practical sense on the part of everyone who has objected to this,” he said.

“Certain objectors have been a mine of mis-information and spread complete untruths and hysteria among people who don’t have a genuine picture of what the plans are about.”

He added: “We had a plan for re-instating the woodland and getting it on its feet. If it’s going to survive for the next 100 years it needs radical work. I haven’t got the money to do that as a gift to the town.”

Mr Craven said he must now decide whether to re-apply for planning permission in around a year’s time, or sell it on.

“It’s all ridiculous and my temptation is to give up and sell it to a big commercial concern,” he said.

Objector Franny Owen, whose home adjoins the wood, said she is pleased the application has been refused.

She added: “I hope that Mr Craven may now be prepared to consider a different approach. We’d like to get the wider community involved in raising funding through donations and grants to look after the site.”

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)