PLANS for a green holiday village of 179 chalets are due to be considered by planners this month.

Angrove Country Park, near Great Ayton and Stokesley, will be considered by Hambleton District Council planners on June 23 and has attracted the support of Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire.

The plans for the farmland site includes fishing ponds and a central hub with a café and cycle hire.

The developers say they expect to create about 160 new jobs on the site and in the local economy, with the increase in visitor numbers expected to deliver about £5.6m of visitor spending to Great Ayton and a cumulative economic impact of £24.4m per year.

Situated on the Coast to Coast cycle route, they say the development will also help to ensure that the Endeavour Way - a route for cyclists between Great Ayton and Stokesley - becomes a reality.

In the wake of the success of the Tour de Yorkshire, which drew thousands of spectators as it passed through Great Ayton last month, Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire has lent his support to the scheme.

“A quality development that helps to promote the cycling offer of Yorkshire and looks to attract visitors all year round would be a great fit for many of the people who are coming to Yorkshire,” said Sir Gary.

“It has the added benefit that it will support the local economy of Hambleton.”

The proposal for Angrove Country Park, which is being put forward by owner and local farmer Alan Petch, went through an initial series of modifications following a round of public consultation last year. Further changes include increased landscaping and the introduction of a phasing plan that will see the scheme developed more gradually over the next six to eight years.

The plans have received 134 formal objections and 64 submissions of support.

A group has been set up in opposition to the plans, Action Group Against Angrove Park, who say they are concerned about the impact of light and noise pollution from the development on local wildlife, which can currently be seen along the River Leven and in the fields earmarked for the development.

If planners approve the scheme, tree planting would start this autumn and building work could start ready for opening in 2017.

Planning consultant, Steve Hesmondhalgh, who has advised Mr Petch on his proposal for Angrove Country Park, said: “The scheme that will shortly go to planning committee is an excellent form of farm diversification that will deliver both tourism jobs and much needed accommodation for cyclists and other visitors to the area.

“Cycling is playing an increasingly important role in the tourist economy of the region. The only problem we’d identified was a lack of accommodation and Angrove Country Park will go a long way towards addressing this shortage in the area.”