Visit County Durham praise Hamsterley Forest proposals

Visit County Durham believe plans that would change the face of Hamsterley Forest could boost both the regions economy and tourist numbers should they get the green light from the council, it has been revealed.

Detailed proposals put together by Forestry England, GoApe and Forest Holidays were displayed for the first time this week (September 9 and 10) and gave residents the chance to both visualise the development and ask questions to bosses.

Hamsterley Forest Plans. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Up to 70 cabins, a café, new visitors centre and a cycle hub are all part of proposals to "improve visitor experience" at the forest which currently attracts 200,000 visitors a year.

A full planning proposal is the next step for Forestry England which will then either get the green light or be rejected by Durham County Council.

Now, Visit County Durham which manages attractions including Durham Cathedral and Beamish have spoken positively of the proposals from brands they are "keen" to attract.

Managing director Michelle Gorman said: "Our large attractions, Durham Cathedral, Raby Castle, Locomotion, The Auckland Project, Ushaw Historic House & Gardens and Beamish have invested heavily in recent years.

"They are continuing to invest and innovate in the 20s and we expect this will make the county even more attractive to visitors. Forestry England have also invested heavily in recent years in its offer and facilities in Hamsterley Forest and the area has successfully established itself as one of the county's headline attractions.

"The county currently lacks visitor accommodation capacity to meet market demand - we have 723 accommodation businesses offering 17,578 bed spaces.

"A quick comparison with neighbouring destinations shows that Northumberland has 2,647 accommodation businesses offering 42,550 bed spaces, Cumbria has 10,682 accommodation businesses and this does not include alternative accommodation types such as yurts, camping pods, hostels, etc. which account for c 7,000 bed spaces.

Hamsterley Forest Plans. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

"Forest Holidays are an established and very successful visitor accommodation high-end brand. This is the kind of brand we are keen to attract to the area."

She added: "These kinds of developments will help Durham to compete nationally and exploit our impressive portfolio of attractions. The development will allow us to retain the economic benefits of visitors within the county.

"The proposal demonstrates a confidence in the county's visitor economy, which broke through the £1billion mark for the first time in 2022.

"This development will not only create jobs in construction and in employment within the site, it will also provide much needed investment and viability to local businesses and suppliers and add to the economic viability of surrounding communities."

However, County Durham residents have aired mixed feeling about the planned development, with some saying they are concerned about the scale of the site.

Pensioners Frank and Marian Holmes, aged 77 and 78, were some of the first to visit the tower to see the plans.

The couple are from Weardale and often visit the forest for walks, but told The Northern Echo they felt "worried" about the impact the development could have.

Hamsterley Forest Plans. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Marian said: "We are worried about what impact the developments could have - especially because of the size and scale of it.

"We have family that visit us from Devon and they use the forest quite often for running and even mountain biking. It was our daughter who reminded us that this exhibition was on today."

Frank added: "It is about striking that balance - it is there for a purpose but it is also a quiet and peaceful environment and not making it feel like a Center Parcs."

When asked whether the development would draw people to other towns including Weardale and Bishop Auckland, the couple were not optimistic.

Frank added: "I think people will just stay there", as his wife Marian agreed that it won't have an impact on small businesses.

Glyn Humphries, aged 53, was another person who came to check out the plans. The Spennymoor dad is a keen mountain biker and visits the forest frequently to enjoy the trails.

For him, the development could be very positive if it gets the go ahead.

He told The Northern Echo: "Overall, I think it is good. I have been to other forests which have been upgraded with things like a bigger café and bike hub.

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"GoApe is something I am not really interested in personally but I think it will attract other people. My only concern is that there is a plan for 70 cabins which I think is a big development. 70 seems a lot.

"I am thinking whether this would increase traffic in to Hamsterley when already the roads aren't the best."

Glyn added hopefully that should the plans get the seal of approval, there will be more bike trails created for him to enjoy.