North-east log cabin plans rejected

Plans to build a number of log cabins in a wood in north-east England have been rejected. Durham County Council turned down the application for six log cabins after a number of objections and two petitions. According to the Wear Valley Mercury, local resident Malcolm Sutcliffe said that the planned buildings could be described as "Swiss chalets".

The cabins would have been constructed in a wooded area near St Johnīs Chapel to bring tourists to the area, but a number of pine trees would have had to be removed to place them. Mike Dixon, committee chairman, said that a balancing act had to be considered combining what was best for the area against tourism revenue. "Part of the attraction for tourists is that woodland, if we start disturbing that we will lose the visitors," he added.

However, the Durham County Councilīs arboriculturalist suggested that the trees were low quality and it was only the volume of them that meant they should be kept as they were an important landscape feature. A similar plan for log cabin construction in South Derbyshire was today given the go-ahead despite local objections.