AN AMBITIOUS scheme to create a huge holiday park near West Linton has been resubmitted to planners.

The proposals, for land south and east of Rutherford House, to the east of the village, were submitted to Scottish Borders Council (SBC) by Nottinghamshire-based Sandy Lane Resort Rutherford Ltd.

The project was originally submitted in 2018 but that scheme has been redefined as “the erection of and change of use to form a holiday leisure centre comprising of 100 holiday lodges, 10 tree lodges, 10 cabins/pods and 30 glamping pods”.

The plans also include the refurbishment and extension of the existing clubhouse, erection of two buildings and associated works to form a “leisure complex with retail, leisure facilities, food and drink”.

The scheme was discussed at West Linton Community Council (WLCC) on Monday evening.

Members decided to try to hold a public meeting in the village’s Graham Institute on Monday, May 15.

This is expected to allow time for objections before the June cut-off date.

The application is unlikely to go before the council’s planning committee before September, according to SBC officers.

WLCC member Tim Brian said: “It is still a very substantial development.

“We need to schedule a public meeting for May when we will have a fair idea of what the community thinks.”

There is already an organisation in the village, West Linton Community Action on Rutherford (WLCAR), opposed to the scheme from its previous application.

WLCAR’s Paul Aitken attended Monday’s meeting and said: “I spoke to a lot of people at West Linton’s market last Saturday and everyone was against the plan.

“Most people were very concerned about the new application and we ask that it is not compared to the previous application.”

On social media WLCAR’s Kate Whalley said: “It should be pointed out that the original group is not against development per se.

“However, the scale of any development should be of an appropriate size and take into account impacts on the local settlements, infrastructure and populations.

“Our self-identified role was to evaluate what was being proposed and coordinate local response.”

Back in 2018 the proposal included plans for 263 lodges, 20 glamping pods and 15 tree houses, as well as space for 206 touring caravans.

There were 101 objections to the previous scheme – and since the new submission there have been a further six objections to date.

Concerns have been raised that the scheme is contrary to the local plan, is detrimental to the environment, would increase traffic, would cause noise nuisance and would be detrimental to residential amenity.

Rutherford Castle Golf Course, set in 150 acres of parkland, opened in May 1998. It closed in 2013 after membership dropped to 56.