Save Delamere Forest

Public Protest - Linmere Visitor Centre (25th march 2012, 1pm)

Please join us in the manner you would normally use the forest. If you cycle, bring your bike. If you walk your dog, bring it along. If you run, then arrive in your trainers & shorts. The more the merrier, so bring along your family, friends and neighbours and show that you’re Defending Delamere.

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Press release - 20/03/12

Last month a split emerged in the Save Delamere campaign team. Members in support of the Delamere project ousted those who had voiced their opinions against before a vote or face to face meeting had taken place. Following this period of unproductive infighting on Facebook, the remaining members who support development in the forest went to the press and local MPs to suggest that the group was in support of the proposals by Forest Holidays and the Forestry Commission. We believe that the remaining committee members' portrayal to the press does not represent the whole truth.

Subsequently, the team behind www.savedelamereforest.co.uk and @saveDelamere twitter account, regrouped and gained several new members. Wholeheartedly against commercialisation of the forest, we remain fully committed to saving Delamere Forest from commercialisation and as such will continue to report our findings.

We believe that building 78 large luxury holiday cabins in the heart of Kingswood will destroy its aura. We also consider the new visitor centre to be in excess of what our small forest needs and that, ultimately, if it needs to be funded by destroying 47 acres of the forest it is a sacrifice too far. We would also like to voice our support for CADD (Campaign Against Delamere's Destruction) and it's many detailed arguments against.

This website, twitter account and protest group will continue to work under the banner of 'Save Delamere Forest', not least as it was coined by the website creators prior to the initial meeting of 04/02/11 as supported by the meetings minutes.

At the present time, the main purpose of this group's efforts will be to make best use of its various and many means of protesting against Delamere Project and the consequent negative impact we believe it would have on the local area.

Part of forest to become a holiday village? 27/02/12

Please read the proposals and make your feelings known.

Attend the planning meeting:
Friday 2nd March 2012
7.00pm Manley Village Hall

Read proposals for 78 lodge holiday village in the northern (Manley / Kingswood) area of the forest with full vehicular access through forest. 1.5km of new roads proposed. Read more and see full proposals at Communities Against Delamere's Destruction

Other major parts of the proposals are shown below. Now is the time to make your feelings know. Full and detailed information, including how to respond here

78 Holiday Lodges (some with tree houses)
201 Bed spaces 47 Acres of forest - just for the lodge area
1.5km of new roads to be added into forest area
A further 2km of existing roads to be upgraded and public access allowed.
A new visitor centre over twice as big as the original one
A 90 seater restaurant 300 new car parking spaces near new centre
4 New shops (400 sq. mtrs.) opposite visitor centre

Delamere back on alert!

NOT safe yet! 20th June 2011

38degrees have issued another warning please fill out their questionnaire ASAP!

Delamere Spartans trail running

Delamere Spartans take to the forest for a new local informal meet up...

Afternoon event in Linmere

Feedback and photos from the afternoon of what would have been the family rally...

The forest is for everyone

A mountain biker and trail runner makes his case for the impact unrestricted access to the forest can have on fitness and well being...

The voice of youth

Alex Stainforth is a 15 year old wildlife photographer, birdwatcher, mountain biker and nature enthusiast. He also talks a huge amount of sense...

Press release - 09/03/11

Read on for reasons of rally postponement and details of the event which will take its place...

Forestry excavations

Last year saw excavations take place on Forestry Commission land. See photos of heritage dating back from around 200BC...
Read more.

26/02/11 - Rally cancelled

In light of the Public Bodies Bill amendments being scrapped, and with the consultation now defunct, the Save Delamere Forest committee voted to cancel the rally on March 20th.

Thank you to those who had shown support and intended to attend. Although we are not having the original family rally as planned for Sunday, March 20th, Stephen Lucas, a professional musician, has agreed to provide live music at Linmere, Delamere Forest, during the afternoon. Stephen originates from Essex, but has moved near to Delamere Forest.

Stephen Lucas is an accomplished keyboard player: piano, church organist and is also skilled in the popular organ including the Wurlitzer and Hammond. He also plays the saxophone and clarinet. He has played in bands and is a teacher of music (theory and practical). So if you are planning to come to Delamere Forest on 20th March you are welcome to spend some of the afternoon listening to Stephen Lucas providing live music as a celebration.

Members of the Save Delamere Forest campaign team will also be there.

17/02/11 - Congratulations everyone!

The government has acknowledged their ill thought out policy and backed down. Caroline Spelman has apologised profusely and the clauses in the Public Bodies Bill which threatened our forests have been removed. The threat on this occasion has been removed but let's not assume everything is ok. We'll keep a close eye on the government's future plans and ensure together that our forest remains safe.

If something good is to come out of this experience then let it be that we have found unity and a common interest in protecting our forest from commercialisation. We have got this result together, through people power. This website will remain live and continue to grow as a reminder of what we have and what we stand to lose.

Maybe, just maybe, it was our campaign that tipped the balance, but most importantly it has been the united response of the people of the UK that has brought about this government u-turn. Congratulations everyone!

Online petition now available!

We are please to announced that in addition to our paper petitions you can now register your support online.

A clear message to the government

Our website has now been live for one week. In that time alone we have had over 1,300 unique visitors and over 6,500 page views. A big thank you to all of you who have taken an interest and also to those who have provided content. Please continue to do so!

Our campaign is already proving how much we care about OUR forest and will send a clear message to the government - we are very much against the sell off and any 'enabling powers' they wish to introduce. If the coalition government is looking to motivate the public and get us involved with 'Big Society', then it is clearly working in Cheshire!

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Click here to visit our new Flickr group

New articles added to the blog

Warning - hazardous consultation

We analyse the DEFRA consultation and expose it as a trap designed to make you agree to the government's badly thought out proposals. Read more.

Our biodiverse forest

Delamere is a unique and biodiverse forest. Here are some interesting facts providing further proof that commercialisation would be to the detriment of our forest.

CroW in a nutshell

We summarise the various activites which we could no longer be taken for granted under any new commercial ownership. Read more.