Breaks With The Past

Challenging questions about the effectiveness of measures now adopted nationally to protect archaeological features in ancient landscapes have been raised by plans to build an £80 million holiday village on a 436-acre woodland site in a designated area of natural beauty on the Kent Downs near Folkestone.

The Rank Holidays and Hotels Developments' proposal for a village, restaurants, shops and sub- tropical world overlooking;: newly-created 20-acre lake at West Wood, Lyminge, has been the subject of a two month-long planning inquiry. The projected all-the-year-round centre, catering for an average of 3,500 holidaymakers at any one time, would be based in just over 300 of the 436 acreage available – with 100 acres of the wood remaining open to the public around the perimeter.

Rank have estimated that its 'oasis village' would bring benefits of some £15 million a year to the local economy. The 'scheme will create 1,000 local jobs', reported the press at the start of the inquiry in April.