Riders protest over plans to build new holiday park
The potential development of a holiday complex in a West Sussex forest has prompted concerned horse riders to take action.
Worried readers contacted H&H about proposals to build 75 holiday lodges over 30 hectares in Houghton Forest, which is in the South Downs National Park.
A website — www.savehoughtonforest.com — has been set up.
But Richard Palmer of the developer, Forest Holidays, told H&H that riders need not fear.
“There will be no restrictions — riders and walkers can go where they like — and we have no plans to disrupt existing bridleways,” he said.
But riders claim that the holidaymakers and accompanying traffic will “destroy the qualities that riders come to enjoy”.
“It will make a massive difference to me and so many riders,” said Molly Tupper. “It’s a horrendous proposal.”
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A spokesman for the British Horse Society told H&H it had not received any complaints so far, but a spokesman added: “We would be concerned if this proposed development had a detrimental impact on the South Downs Way, currently the only fully open Bridleway National Trail, or any other equestrian off-road access.”
This article was first published in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine (Thursday 26 May)
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.