Plans for a holiday lodge development in Hamsterley Forest have faced renewed opposition from two parish councils, which argue the scheme would overwhelm local roads and infrastructure, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.
The proposals, submitted by Forest Holidays as part of a wider masterplan for Hamsterley Forest near Bishop Auckland, would see 70 holiday cabins built alongside a central hub containing a café, restaurant and shop, as well as staff accommodation and maintenance facilities.
If approved, the site could accommodate up to 368 guests at full capacity. The operator expects the holiday park to have an average annual occupancy of about 90%.
South Bedburn Parish Council has reaffirmed its objection to the scheme, saying revised planning documents submitted in March 2026 had failed to address concerns first raised in January 2025.
In its latest submission to Durham County Council, the parish council described the proposals as the equivalent of building “a village of a similar population to Hamsterley” in a forest with “no mains water, no mains sewerage system, no public transport and no suitable road infrastructure”.
The council urged members of the county authority’s planning committee to visit the site before making a decision.
It said: “Forest Holidays’ plan is to effectively build a village of a similar population to Hamsterley in a forest” lacking the infrastructure needed to support such a development.
Hamsterley Parish Council has also restated its opposition after considering the revised application at a meeting in May.
Councillors said they remained dissatisfied with Forestry England’s response to concerns raised by residents, professional organisations and charities.
In its objection, the parish council said the development would place an unacceptable burden on the area’s road network, particularly while the C31 – the main route into Hamsterley – has been closed since January 2023 with “no prospect of reopening”.
It said the alternative route via the C30 required traffic to cross the historic Linburn Bridge, which it described as hazardous enough for the parish council to seek safety improvements before a serious accident occurred.
The council also said Hamsterley’s narrow main street was already congested by parked vehicles and was unsuited to modern traffic levels.
It warned the combination of contractors, holidaymakers, day visitors, Forestry England staff, campers, Go Ape customers and delivery vehicles would make conditions “dangerous and unbearable”.
The parish council said the development could effectively double the number of people in the village at busy times.
It added: “The Parish Council does not believe that it has the infrastructure or facilities to sustain this increase, nor should it be expected to do so.
“As it is, by reason of the anticipated increase in traffic the quality of daily life for the residents of Hamsterley will be adversely affected to a significant degree by these proposals.”
Other objections from the Environment Agency and Woodland Trust highlighted concerns with potential flooding and drainage issues.
Responding to the objections, the applicant said many of the concerns raised during the planning process were based on inaccurate information.
A spokesperson said: “We note that there has been a campaign of objections and responses to the proposals with certain parties being prolific in the extent of material produced.
“Unfortunately, a large amount of this has been based on misinformation, incorrect assumption and incorrect interpretation of the proposals at hand, together with a lack of understanding of policy, legislation and process.
“We do not propose to respond to individual comments other than to confirm that the relevant planning considerations, which have also been picked up by statutory consultees, have been duly addressed. However, should the local authority require our input in terms of any other points raised, then we would be happy to do so.”
Durham County Council will determine the application in due course.
Bill Edgar
Reporter for the Local Democracy Reporter Service.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
