The man behind a proposed glamping site in Angus has hit back at an objection from the Woodland Trust.
Woodland owner and applicant Graham Carter said he was disappointed the conservation charity have objected “it seems without having visited the site” and “well outside the agreed consultation period”.
Woodland Trust Scotland previously slammed the proposal for 20 wigwam cabins at Denfind Plantation in Monikie as “completely inappropriate”.
Trust spokesman George Anderson said the facility would result in direct loss of ancient woodland and was “entirely unacceptable”.
Mr Carter said: “In preparing the planning application for this project a considerable amount of time and effort has been spent in assessing the site.
“That includes the preparation of a comprehensive phase 1 habitat survey which, if the Woodland Trust had cared to read, would have explained to them the minimal impact on this site and that there is nothing of significance which has been found to be protected.
“The site has been under a commercial crop of timber for the last 50 years or more and the footprint of the development is minimal in comparison to the overall site.
“There is, in fact, only a very small area of semi natural woodland at both the east and north end of the site.
“Within this is a large percentage of non-native tree species, principally sycamore and beech, growing there which they have been doing for the last 80 years or so.
“I am disappointed that the Woodland Trust have objected, it seems, without having visited the site and I notice well outside the agreed consultation period.”
The 20 tents would be official Wigwam-branded units placed at the south of the village, next to the country park, which receives more than 150,000 visitors each year.
The idea of a Wigwam development has been under consideration at the 38-acre site for the past three years.
It would sit within existing spruce woodland, with maintenance or felling planned for six beech and sycamore trees at the entrance on to Panmure Road.
The Trust said erecting wigwams on the site along with associated vehicular access, areas of hard standing and soakaways, will all result in direct loss of ancient woodland.
It also raised issues concerning additional indirect impacts, such as noise and light, and the “intensification of human activity”.
The Woodland Trust own 80 sites throughout Scotland totalling 8,500 hectares.
