Consultation ends on Go Ape plans for Itchen Valley Country Park (From Daily Echo)

Consultation ends on Go Ape plans for Itchen Valley Country Park

11:33am Monday 23rd November 2009

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THE time for talking is over and it’s now up to Eastleigh Borough Councillors to decide on one of Hampshire’s most controversial leisure proposals.

The period for public consultation on the plans for a tree-top Go Ape course at Itchen Valley Country Park ended today.

Councillors from the Hedge End, West End and Botley local area committee will decide on the plans at their meeting on December 7.

Over the last few months, debate has raged in Hampshire about the plans, which were revealed in the Daily Echo earlier this year.

Margaret Raff, from the Friends of Itchen Valley Country Park, was unhappy with what she saw as a lack of public consultation.

She said: “There has been almost no public debate on this issue.

“We hope that there will be a significant number of objectors and the objections will have to be planning objections, they need technical evidence and be factually based.

“I’m afraid that they may be intimidating rules for Country Park users but we have been helping them and we hope that statutory bodies like the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Natural England have opposed it too.”

Ben Davies, business development manager at Go Ape, believed that the proposed high wire adventure course would benefit local residents and the local economy. He said: “We understand that this proposal has provoked an emotional response from some people.

“However, it would be a real shame if a small number of local residents were able to deprive Eastleigh of 15 much needed jobs and a fantastic local resource.”

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