Friends of Fineshade
Former threats to Fineshade Wood
This section of the website contains details of the threats from development that have come and gone in recent years. Many of the Friends of Fineshade have been particularly involved in protecting the wood from these developments.
Forest Holidays 2014-2018
Forest Holidays, in conjunction with the Forestry Commission, proposed to build over 70 large luxury lodges deep in the Ancient Woodland areas of the wood, on land that is part of the Public Forest Estate. They intended to build miles of new roads, a "retreat", a sewage plant, hot tubs, car parks and facilities catering for over 300 guests at any one time.
You can read a summary of the long but successful fight to oppose this plan here.
Glamping, camping and static caravans
The owners of the field in front of Top Lodge Visitor Centre have made a series of unsuccessful attempts to get planning permission to develop the field that forms part of the gateway to Fineshade Woods. In 2014 they applied for permission to erect Glamping Pods - application rejected. In 2015 they tried again with an application for a camp site - application withdrawn. TIn 2018-9 they tried for the most ambitious and visually crass idea of all - 32 large static caravans crammed into half of the field.
You can read about the resounding victory to oppose that plan here
In 2021 yet another attempt was made to obtain "Change of Use": a scaled back but ill-thought-out proposal, trying to get a foot in the door as a first step to develop a large caravan site. Once again the application was refused
