Breaks With The Past
The price of archaeology in Kent
Challenging questions about the effectiveness of measures now adopted nationally to protect archaeological features in ancient landscapes have been raised by plans to build an £80 million holiday village on a 436-acre woodland site in a designated area of natural beauty on the Kent Downs near Folkestone.
The Rank Holidays and Hotels Developments' proposal for a village, restaurants, shops and sub- tropical world overlooking;: newly-created 20-acre lake at West Wood, Lyminge, has been the subject of a two month-long planning inquiry. The projected all-the-year-round centre, catering for an average of 3,500 holidaymakers at any one time, would be based in just over 300 of the 436 acreage available – with 100 acres of the wood remaining open to the public around the perimeter.
Rank have estimated that its 'oasis village' would bring benefits of some £15 million a year to the local economy. The 'scheme will create 1,000 local jobs', reported the press at the start of the inquiry in April.
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