Proposed holiday development at Pugneys Country Park

UPDATE (December 2020): We are please to report that this application was refused by Wakefield Council earlier this month.

CPRE West Yorkshire objects to the proposed holiday development at Pugneys Country Park.

Planning Application 18/01532/FUL: Holiday Development, Pugneys Country Park Wakefield.

This application is for 98 timber lodges for holiday use and associated facilities and work at Pugneys Countryside Park, in Wakefield.

The essential characteristics of Green Belt are openness and permanence. The opportunity for people to access and explore open spaces is crucial for well-being. This asset should be available to all people, not just those able to pay for holiday accommodation. It is important for the residents of the local authority area of Wakefield.

Everyone should be able to enjoy countryside on their doorstep. Recent events have made it crystal clear how important access to the outdoors is for health and wellbeing. This development takes a substantial parcel of land within the Green Belt that is currently providing openness as a public good, and effectively replaces it with a private good, enjoyable only by the clients of the holiday accommodation and associated facilities.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (section 141) requires local planning authorities to plan positively to enhance the beneficial use of the Green Belt. Developing a private leisure resort would reduce the openness of the Green Belt. It would restrict the beneficial use of the land only to those who could pay.

The proposed new buildings would be largely unrelated to the adjacent amenities of the Country Park. In other words, the clients of the proposed resort will benefit greatly from the adjacent public amenity, but the public amenity would not be enhanced by the development.

We need to plan for, protect and enhance our green spaces for the benefit of everyone, now and in the future.

We therefore ask that the application be refused. Our full objection is available to download here.

Pugneys Country Park has a range of facilities. Some are restricted at the moment due to Covid-19 restrictions, but the park is open and a great way to explore outdoors.