Posted on December 22, 2014December 22, 2014 by Rachel Dixon

Laver Leisure is aware of some concerns which are circulating locally with regards to our leisure proposals for Moneystone Park. We thought it would be useful to provide a factsheet to enable the community to see what is actually being proposed.
Traffic
A transport assessment has been undertaken by specialist highway consultants as part of the planning application and concludes that the development is acceptable in highways terms.
The signposted and advertised route to Moneystone Park will be via Whiston Eaves Lane and the A52. Visitors will be asked to ignore Sat Navs and vehicles will be discouraged from turning right towards Oakamoor or Moneystone. The existing 7.5 tonne weight restriction, except for access, at this point on Eaves Lane will remain in place, meaning that coaches, buses and HGVs will not be able to turn right out of Moneystone Park.
The capacity of the existing local road network has been previously assessed by the local authority during the development of the Churnet Valley Masterplan. SMDC appointed WS Atkins Highway Consultants to produce a Transport Study in order to review the potential transportation and highway issues associated with all sites listed in the Churnet Valley Masterplan area. The Atkins Transport Study demonstrated that the traffic generation for 250 holiday lodges plus a 100 bed hotel on this site – (please note that a hotel is no longer part of the proposals) can be considered relatively low, and concluded that it would not lead to any notable congestion issues.
Road safety
All evidence going back to when the quarry was fully operational, demonstrates that there is not an inherent safety issue with the A52 junction with Whiston Eaves Lane. Notwithstanding this fact, Laver Leisure is proposing to improve the existing junction layout which will enhance visibility for all road users using the Whiston Eaves Lane junction.
The transport assessment and proposed junction improvements will be reviewed by the local highways authority as part of the planning process.
Visual impact
As the proposed development is largely contained within the former quarry working area of the site, Moneystone Park will be barely visible from outside. With careful design and by making use of the existing landscape, views into the site will be almost completely unaffected.
Threat to possible AONB status
There are very many examples of sensitively planned developments in AONBs and national parks around the country. We believe that Moneystone Park actually enhances the potential for AONB status by regenerating a derelict quarry with significantly enhanced landscaping features and planting.
Restoration of the former quarry
As can be seen from the following photographs, significant progress has been made on the restoration works at considerable cost to Laver Leisure.

Moneystone Quarry was in operation for over 60 years. Regardless of how well restored such a quarry is, it nonetheless comprises a highly engineered and artificial landscape which has been extensively worked. Laver Leisure’s proposals will provide positive benefits in terms of tree planting, connectivity and potential habitat when compared with the recently approved restoration scheme.
Impact on the SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest)
Laver Leisure is working with Natural England to carefully maintain the SSSI. It should be noted that our development proposals are outside the SSSI and will have no visual and ecological impact on it. Across the site in general, we are looking to encourage wildlife over the long-term.
Once completed there will be an overall improvement in Great Crested Newt habitat and during construction, measures will be taken to ensure their protection in accordance with Natural England licensing requirements.
Economic impact and impact on local businesses
Rather than harming the local economy, Moneystone Park will bring significant benefit by creating local jobs and new wages in the area. We commissioned independent consultants to produce a report on the economic benefits which could be generated by Moneystone Park. The report suggests that around 250 permanent jobs will be created on-site, plus as many as 230 jobs at the peak of construction. It also suggests that local people and young people in particular are likely to benefit from the jobs created.
The socio economic report also found that staying visitors could generate just over £1 million per year worth of additional spending in the area. It is expected the development, in part through visitor spending, use of local supply chain and wages, will help to deliver a further 78 full-time equivalent jobs off-site elsewhere in the district.
Supporting local businesses
The whole ethos of Moneystone Park is to embrace the wider Churnet Valley, by working with local suppliers, including farmers, breweries etc and those who are involved in the leisure industry. We intend that the Park will become part of the community.
Laver Leisure will promote local facilities, attractions, ancillary shops and services through on-site visitor information and by brokering quality assurance deals with local pubs, restaurants and other services.
Scale of development
With 250 high quality wooden lodges, the proposed development is in accordance with the Churnet Valley Masterplan adopted by SMDC in March 2014. The Churnet Valley Masterplan will have a major influence on future planning decisions in the area and limits the number of lodges to 250. Laver Leisure has worked hard to modify the proposals to respond to comments raised by the local community as part of the community consultation exercise and to ensure that the proposals accord with the Churnet Valley Masterplan. Will caravans be installed? Will lodges become permanent residences?
We have no intention of installing caravans at Moneystone Park. Laver Leisure is very proud of the holiday parks it operates on the Lincolnshire coast. However, the leisure offer proposed at Moneystone Park is very different. As is clearly stated in our planning application, we are proposing high quality wooden holiday lodges to facilitate activity based holidays. There will be no caravans, static or otherwise, on the leisure park.
Also, while a proportion of the high quality wooden lodges are likely to be sold to private individuals, we have no intention of creating a permanent community. Our contracts will state very clearly how the holiday lodges can be used and all buyers will have a permanent main residential address elsewhere within the UK.
Crowtrees Farm
When purchasing the quarry from Sibelco, Laver Leisure also purchased the freehold interest in Crowtrees Farm, which formed part of the title. Crowtrees Farm had previously been sold some years ago by the then farm owners to the then quarry operators at full market value. The purchase was made by the quarry operators at the time to enable future redevelopment and expansion of the quarry. It was always envisaged by all parties that the farm would be redeveloped at some point. The recent planning application for an equestrian centre was submitted because of significant local demand for such a facility. However, this planning application has now been withdrawn. An equestrian centre is not part of the Moneystone Park planning application.
The site is not Green Belt
The site is not located within the Green Belt. It does comprise green field land which has been identified as an opportunity site for a new leisure development in the Churnet Valley Masterplan. Importantly, the site has been extensively worked and engineered over recent times as part of the quarry operation and presents an opportunity to deliver a high quality and sustainable leisure development.
Policy compliance
Our proposals for Moneystone Park are in line with current local and national planning policy. Alleged ‘secret’ meetings with the local authority/Planning Performance Agreement Laver Leisure has been working on these proposals for a number of years and during that time we have met, on a number of occasions, with the local authority’s planning team and other relevant people. We have made no secret of that, as it is a perfectly normal part of the planning process, for a developer to meet with the local authority and this is indeed encouraged by planning guidance. It is also an established principle that if you are working on a commercial scheme, there will be sensitive issues which need to remain private. This principle applies regardless of what development is being proposed.
In addition, we have entered into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) with Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. The Agreement by the applicant and local authority, seeks to set out agreed service levels, response times and timescales and in no way does it influence the decision of the planning application. Planning Performance Agreements are an increasingly popular arrangement and are considered to be good practice.
Who is Moneystone Park aimed at?
Moneystone Park is aimed at families and those who enjoy an outdoor active lifestyle. It is not intended that this will be a ‘main’ holiday destination, but instead is most likely to be used for second holidays and short breaks. The accommodation on offer will be of high quality and the rental prices will reflect this.
How will the community benefit?
Moneystone Park will effectively be a country park, the ongoing management of which will be funded by the provision of leisure facilities and high quality wooden holiday lodges. Therefore it will be open for the public to make use of. There will be free access for people wishing to make use of most of the outdoor activities including cycling, walking and horse-riding bridleways. It is too early to say what the likely activity costs of ‘paid-for’ activities will be. The farm shop, bar and restaurant will also be available for the community to use and we will look to use local suppliers to stock them.
Other potential benefits which are currently being evaluated include the provision of superfast broadband at the site. Whether this can be expanded to the local villages will depend on the feasibility study and the stance adopted by BT. We are also examining if suitable space can be provided at Moneystone Park for health services such as chiropody or an occasional doctors surgery.

 
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you think that Moneystone Park is a good idea, please inform Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. You can do this by emailing planning@staffsmoorlands.gov.uk and quoting the planning application reference SMD/2014/0682.

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