HUGE plans to revamp a major tourist attraction are set to go back to the drawing board. Birdworld has pulled out of a public inquiry this month, where it was due to argue for the massive scheme that would have trebled the size of the existing Forest Lodge Garden Centre and added new attractions to the birdpark and gardens, to be allowed to go ahead. The inquiry was called after East Hampshire District Council ignored some of its own Local Plan policies to give the scheme the green light in December 2004. The six-day public inquiry had been pencilled in, starting on March 14, to hear arguments for and against the development. A government inspector would then have ruled on the scheme. But Birdworld - which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year - has now withdrawn from the public inquiry because it wants to put forward revised redevelopment plans. Originally, it was planning to massively expand and enhance its visitor centre with themed buildings like an education and penguin centre, recycle world and a sea shore walk in an attempt to boost dwindling visitor numbers. Visitors would have been able to hop on to a new steam railway which would have run from the rear of the garden centre to the new visitor centre. A new single access point would have been built to serve both attractions to replace the two existing separate access points. The applicant, Denys E Head Ltd, anticipated that the development when complete would create an extra 152 jobs, bringing the total workforce to more than 330. Five homes were also planned for the northern end of the site to help fund the cost of the redevelopment. In a statement released this week, the applicant stressed that it was still committed to the redevelopment plans. But it is remaining tight-lipped about exactly how the new scheme will differ from the earlier proposals. The statement said: "Our outline planning application for the redevelopment of Birdworld and Forest Lodge Garden centre was first submitted in November 2003. The scheme was approved by East Hants in 2004, but the application was subsequently called in by the government office for a public inquiry, which was due to take place in March 2006. "During this period, we have further developed our outline plans and have now decided to withdraw our current application and submit a revised new application in due course. "Our company continues to be committed to both the redevelopment and enhancement of all parts of our business and to continuing upon our previous success within Birdworld, Forest Lodge Garden Centre and Garden Style Specimen Plants." District council case officer Keith Oliver said: "They are not going to proceed with the earlier plans. They want to resubmit with a smaller garden centre. Rather than waste time and money on a public inquiry for something they are not going to build they said 'let's pull it and start again'."
