Plans for a woodland ‘glamping’ site in Weyhill have come under fire from members of the community.

John and Sarah Daniel have submitted plans for nine ‘pods’ in woodland between Weyhill and Clanville, off of Rectory Lane. Nine treehouses will be constructed to provide a site for holidaying in style, as well as a reception cabin and services unit.

However, nearby residents have raised a number of concerns over the plans, with issues including impact on rights of way, biodiversity and noise.

The plans were validated by Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) at the start of the month, opening them for public consultation.

The site is a 23-acre woodland which previously formed part of Ramridge Park, a country estate located to the north east of Andover. Last year, plans for a forestry building and access track from Rectory Lane were approved by TVBC, with the new plans aiming to use the same entrance.

Under the proposals, the owners of the land want to build “a select number of contemporary treehouses, sustainably designed, using natural materials, and all within a magnificent beech woodland setting.”

Each ‘pod’ will be built a timber platform with supports, and will contain a sofa bed, TV, bathroom, dining area and kitchenette. They will be connected to electricity and sewage systems. A separate communal building will include tables and seating for guests, as well as a rooftop terrace.

While the developers have lauded the plans as providing an “exceptional level of luxury”, some nearby residents are less keen on the scheme.

Andover Ramblers, who consult on planning applications relating to rights of way, have objected to the scheme due to uncertaintly over whether a public right of way (PROW), Penton Grafton One, passes through or close by to the woodland.

They said: “We would certainly be uncomfortable if the PROW was to go under or close to the proposed treehouses. We feel this could discourage people using the footpath.”

Patrick Grant, meanwhile, said the plans would be “extremely harmful” to the biodiversity of the area.

He said: “A number of protected species will suffer (bats, polecats, badgers and dormice in particular) leading to a loss of ecological habitation for these animals,” adding: “Woods have a vital role to play in reducing carbon emissions - not increasing them.”

The developers, meanwhile, argue in their ecological appraisal of the plans that surveys of the site have been used to “minimise” the impact on habitat and tree removal, arguing that the site is of “ecological value at the local level only”.

They plan to plant 16 trees to replace eight being removed, while mitigation measures such as bat boxes and invertebrate habitats have been recommended for the site.

In addition, Mark Mans has said the proposals will have an impact on the site’s human neighbours, saying: “The volume of activity will inevitably lead to much increased noise levels especially in the evenings and will have an adverse impact on the local area and the adjacent Hill View Farm,” adding the development would be “a real cause for concern”.

In response, those behind the plans say the ‘screening’ from existing woodland and distance of the site from the road mean “it is considered that the development may be assimilated into the landscape without causing any adverse impact upon landscape character.”

The plans are currently being considered by TVBC planning officers, and if approved, the developers hope to have the site open and running by winter 2021.

If you would like to have your say on the plans, search TVBC’s planning portal with the reference: 21/01935/FULLN