AMBITIOUS plans by the UK’s leading outdoor education provider to improve its activity centre in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at Hindhead’s Marchants Hill, triggered 68 objections in total.

Waverley’s southern area planning committee meets on Wednesday, to determine an application by PGL Travel, which operates 18 activity centres across the UK, to demolish the existing “substandard” buildings on the 40-acre woodland site close to Cricket Close,

It wants build a two-storey building to accommodate staff and guests, a single-storey kitchen and dining room, extend the activity lake and provide more activities on site and improve access roads and car parking in a bid to turn the site in a year-round tourist attraction, which would create 88 jobs.

Residents claim the site would become “industrial in appearance” and that previous planing consents had restricted the number of children to 400, also that Tilford Road. They also object stating access roads could not cope with the increased traffic.

One Hindhead couple complained: “One cannot enjoy a walk along the public footpath without noise pollution from the ‘theme park’-type activities PGL have introduced increasingly over the years.

“The nightjars just get into their rhythm and then stop immediately the screaming from PGL begins.”

WBC officers have recommended planning consent should be granted.

Their report stated: “The proposal would constitute inappropriate development in the green belt due to the overall increase in floor area and impact on the openness of the green belt. However, very special circumstances are considered to exist.

“The proposal would have an acceptable impact on adjoining residential occupiers and the surrounding highway network. Furthermore, the proposal would not have a likely significant impact on the integrity of the special protection area, and would have an acceptable impact on the site of special scientific interest and site of nature conservation importance.”

The centre currently caters for more than 384 children and 54 adult guests, with up to 138 staff. The proposed buildings would provide accommodation for 750 children aged seven to 17, and 112 adult guests, plus 209 staff – an overall increase of 366 children, 58 adult guests and 71 staff.

The new timber-clad buildings within the woodlands would be confined to the developed area of the site but would cover a larger area and some would increase from single to two-storeys. The car park size would increase but would be confined to an area currently used for guest shelters.

The lake would be enlarged to create a new landscape feature with three new timber jetties added for water sports.

Surrey Highways recommended refusal because traffic increases could create safety problems on Tilford Road, but withdrew its objections after plans to widen Cricket Close at the junction with Tilford Road to enable a coach and car to enter and exit at the same time were added.