PLANS for an extension of the existing facilities at a leading outdoor activity centre could lead to it becoming a “theme park with some trees”, it has been claimed.

The centre PGL, at Marchants Hill, Tilford Road, in Hindhead, provides sport and leisure facilities, combined with education and tourism accommodation.

But with the site showing its age and requiring some modernisation – and demand for places far outweighing supply – the company wants to build new classrooms and two-storey accommodation for guests and staff to replace existing single-storey buildings as well as a number of new facilities.

But one Hindhead resident, who is objecting to the latest in a line of proposals to expand the centre’s numbers to keep it ahead of the game, declared in his letter of objection: “The additional proposed areas can only make this worse and in time the forest will become no more than a theme park with some trees.”

The other alterations and extensions affect the existing kitchen/dining hall and a reception and administration building on the woodland site of more than 40 acres. The new plans follow the demolition of existing accommodation buildings and associated buildings.

PGL also wants to carry out extensions to its existing activity lake, provide an additional 40 on-site car parking spaces and an extra two spaces for coaches.

The latest scheme, if it gets the go-ahead, could more than double the number of children, teachers and group leaders to be accommodated on site with a maximum of 750 children, or 862 visitors when combining the new development with the existing accommodation to be retained and that to be demolished.

On-site staff accommodation will be increased to a maximum of 209 beds.

The resident’s objection letter also claimed: “Existing activity areas do have an effect on the forest although these are not addressed in the application. There are stakes, slides and enclosures which are fixed into living trees, and around these areas all the undergrowth is trampled away, removing any semblance of diversity within the forest.

“There is also no chance of the forest regenerating itself in those areas.

“The increased use does not seem to be addressed in the planning application,” said the resident.

PGL currently employs up to 164 staff at Marchants Hill, but future staffing levels will need to rise to a maximum of 226, an increase of 62 people, who will be needed to manage, service and supervise the site, it said.

PGL claims affects on surrounding areas - including the AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Green Belt, the Devil’s Punch Bowl and Gibbet Hill - would be “negligible”.

But so far the market leader and largest provider of residential, all-inclusive, outdoor adventure and educational programmes for schools and youth groups in the UK has come unstuck in its bid to expand.

In its design and access statement PGL said it wished to: “Develop and improve the activity centre to provide additional accommodation and facilities to ensure it continues to be market leading and viable in the long term.”

The latest proposals follow a public consultation, held at the site in July, when residents were given the opportunity to consider and comment on the revised planning application, similar to proposals refused just over a year ago.

But now the new plans are back on the table of Waverley Borough Council, opposition is already growing to the latest scheme.

While Haslemere Town Council has come out in support of the expansion plans in principle, it has objected to the proposal over access to the site via Tilford Road and Cricket Close, which it says is “unsuitable” because of the likely increase in the number of vehicles, including coaches travelling to the site.

And a handful of other residents have also voiced their opposition to the plans, with one Beacon Hill resident concerned they could restrict the rights of way as well as the effect it would have on the forest.

Other residents want guarantees the number of guests being accommodated at the site would remain at 400, as previously agreed.

A widening of the existing access drive and improvements to the junction with Cricket Close are also included in the plans, along with road-safety improvements at the junction with Tilford Road.

PGL says the site has a long history of providing accommodation to children, going back to the 1930s, and is very popular with customers, many of whom have travelled to Marchants Hill annually for more than 20 years. It is very popular with London-based schools, who wish to ensure children are exposed to the benefits of the outdoors and activities in a natural environment.

Its reputation, location and population growth in the South East has created a demand for more children to experience the benefits of a PGL residential, which currently cannot be fulfilled.

The site currently accommodates around 400 children and PGL claimed it has demand for 750 guests plus staff and teachers.

The proposals will, the company added, allow PGL to continue to provide a high quality learning facility, but with enhanced, fit-for-purpose teaching areas, accommodation and services.

The latest date for comments to be made to Waverley Borough Council is Friday, October 6.

A decision is expected by Southern Area planning committee in November.