An outdoor stage installed at a popular holiday resort has made life for locals 'hell' after planning guidelines were not followed properly. Noise concerns caused councillors to reject unanimously an application for the already installed structure on the Haven site.
A retrospective application for the siting of an outdoor activities area at Thorpe Park Holiday Park was made last year by site owners Haven Leisure Ltd, part of the wider Bourne Leisure Ltd group. Planning permission had already been given for an outdoor stage, trampolines and a jump, but when installed they were not put in the originally intended locations.
This included the outdoor stage being moved from the northern end of the site to the eastern, which is close to a conservation area in Lincolnshire. Council members were highly critical of the retrospective application, with one describing it as "absolutely diabolical," GrimsbyLive reports.
Residents prize the area for its tranquility and complained about the noise last summer. The stage was voluntarily closed while a new application was to be submitted and Thorpe Park worked with council enforcement to address the problem.
Councillors were not impressed by the changes of location, particularly for the outdoor stage, and a nearby resident spoke of the hell it had caused last Summer before its closure. Planning officers recommended approval, subject to noise limiting conditions.
An officer said: "Effectively things have been moved about: high ropes and low ropes, and the stage itself. An awful lot of representations have been made on the planning application. There were 450 pages worth of comments, mostly focused on noise concerns."
It was later confirmed that the stage was not in its originally intended area last Summer. A noise limiting level also agreed was found to not be in place at the time as well.
Local resident Mark Peet said: "It has destroyed our year, our amenity and our peace and quiet." He also spoke of the "hellish lived experience in 2022" when the outdoor stage was active.
He added: "The applicant has acted with complete disregard to its neighbours and the wonderful environment."
Casey Smith of Litchfields, on behalf of Haven Leisure, said. "In effect, it is a slight rearrangement of various elements," said Casey Smith compared to what was originally approved. We want to reassure you that as soon as the noise issue was flagged by the environmental health officer, the stage was shut down until an acceptable noise level was agreed."
Cllr Stephen Harness said some locals had been "in tears" last Summer due to the impact of the noise.
Another resident added: "It has gone from heaven to hell a place of peace and quiet to a sickening racket."
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While another said: "I have taken to avoiding being at home when the sound stage is active, since it upsets me and causes stress which affects my health."
Echoing these concerns, another local objecting said: "I do not want this thrust upon me in my own garden and home, or indeed on an evening when I want to watch the telly etc and not listen to more renditions of 'Sweet Caroline'".
After 45 minutes of councillors unanimously objected to the application.
Planning permission for an Outdoor Stage at Haven’s Thorpe Park was previously granted prior to installation for a different location. Park bosses say they are working with the local council to understand details of the objection and with the local planning office to resolve any concerns.
A Haven spokesperson said: "We are always exploring opportunities to develop and improve our current offering for the benefit of our owners and guests. We respect the local council’s recent decision and hope to work closely with them to better understand their concerns and to find the right resolution for all."
The ongoing investment in the park also continues to generate job opportunities for the local area.
