Plans for 30-70 log cabins in Grizedale Forest

The Gazette can exclusively reveal that Grizedale Forest has been earmarked as the possible location for between 30 and 70 holiday homes.

Forest Holidays, a national holiday company with nine developments across the United Kingdom, held consultation talks with five Hawkshead business owners to sound-out public reaction towards the plans.

If Forest Holidays choose to submit formal proposals they would be subject to the Lake District National Park Authority's planning regulations.

The Forestry Commission owns the land at Grizedale and confirmed that it had been involved in talks with Forest Holidays and business owners.

A spokesperson for the Forestry Commission said: "We had a discussion with local businesses to gauge support. We care about our communities and ensure that benefits to the local economy are always at the heart of our plans. What we care about it making sure we contribute to the local economy. I think people were supportive."

Forest Holidays declined to give a comment specifically relating to Grizedale but a spokesperson said: "We look at sites across the country and talk to people in various areas about the possibility [of developing in those areas] and get feedback on how it would be received."

Maria Whitehead, owner of Hawkshead Relish, attended the meeting held earlier this month.

She said: "If the development goes ahead we would rather the tourists came and used Hawkshead village and didn't bypass it. Forest Holidays said they would be willing to run a minibus service from the site into the village right through to pub closing time. That would be for the people staying there to try and bring people down into the village.

"We're fighting to keep our doctor's surgery open and having 600 more people here might put extra pressure to keep it open. Forest Holidays said they would be willing to put money forward for it.

"If they don't build the site here then it will go somewhere else and we might miss out."