Water-ski plan at Cotswold Water Park sunk by council
Seventy-three people and Somerford Keynes Parish Council objected to Watermark Investments' bid for a cable tow on Lake 31 on the Keynes Country Park site, near Cirencester.
They said it would attract rowdy youngsters, shatter the peace, disturb wildlife, increase traffic and look ugly.
Cotswold District Council planning committee agreed with them.
Watermark wanted to put the electronically-powered cable tow and wake board course on a lake in an area used for walking, cycling, boating and fishing.
It would have featured six steel pylons, concrete pads, cables and a floating timber pontoon.
Resident Edward Jenkins said: “The mix of adrenaline and teenage sports are not quiet.
“The cable scheme poses a real threat to the lake.
“There are 267 country parks in England and not one has proposed or installed a cable scheme.”
Coun Clive Bennett (C. Water Park) said locals had already had problems with youngsters.
He said: “A resident complained about noise, loud music, singing and fireworks and it was not an isolated incident.
“Late-evening activities would create a disturbance for local residents.”
Fellow ward member Peter Clarke (LD. Water Park) said: “I've had more objections to this proposal than any other issue in and around the area, including complaints about waste.
“I'm no killjoy and people need to be able to enjoy things like water-skiing but not on this site.
“There may be little noise from the machinery but there will be noise, particularly from youngsters.”
Coun Richard Dickinson (C. Cirencester, Stratton-Whiteway), added: “It's a tranquil lake. I saw a pair of great crested grebes dancing there, some swans and mallards.
“The very thought of an action ski thing in there appalls me.”
But Coun Tony Curry (C. Cirencester, Park) said: “I have great sympathy with people who live there but it is a place of leisure. We could be cutting off our nose to spite our face.”
District council planning officer Mike Napper said there would be little visual impact and it would not operate from October to March.
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