ANGRY residents have sent a clear message to activity company PGL’s plans to build a children’s adventure centre in Newby Wiske – "PGL Get Lost!"

Signs bearing the slogan have sprung up across the village in protest against PGL’s plan to turn the former North Yorkshire Police Headquarters at Newby Wiske Hall into a centre for children’s activity holidays.

The slogan is a play on the phrase used humoursly in association with the company’s acronym –Parents Get Lost - but nobody in Newby Wiske is laughing at PGL’s intention to fell dozens of trees and alter a Grade II Listed building to create their new centre.

PGL’s submitted plans include the installation of giant rope swings, double zip wires, climbing walls and games pitches, as well as camping space for 210 children and 550 guest bed spaces in the hall.

Resident Keith Bowe, who has resigned his position as parish council chair so that he can better fight the application, voiced many villagers’ concerns when he said the activity centre would alter the very fabric of quiet village life.

He said: “Our main concerns are about noise, traffic and the decimation of the woodland.

“Approximately 400 police people work at the police HQ but if these proposals go through there will be more than 800 people on the site at the busiest times.”

Mr Bowe said that residents have not been given enough time to respond to PGL’s plans, with the consultation period set to end on Tuesday – less than a month after the planning documents were made publicly available online.

“There are hundreds and hundreds of documents, some of which are doubled up, some of which are tripled – some of which in my mind is done to confuse,” he said.

Mr Bowe added that the Newby Wiske protest has been supported by nearby villagers in South Otterington and Warlaby who will also be affected by coach traffic using the site.

A PGL spokesman said: “PGL has submitted a planning application for Newby Wiske Hall and we are currently in a public consultation period.

“We are pleased to have held a recent consultation event to understand residents’ views and details of the application are currently available for review and comment on the council planning website.”