ANIMAL owners in the New Forest have hit out at a multi-million-pound plan to transform two of the area's biggest campsites.

The Commoners' Defence Association (CDA) has accused the Forestry Commission of attempting to "urbanise" the huge Hollands Wood site at Brockenhurst and a similar facility known as Roundhill.

CDA members are fighting proposals to provide new reception buildings at the two sites and install a total of 400 electrical hook-ups.

As reported in the Daily Echo, the Forestry Commission is also planning to axe half the 600 pitches at Hollands Wood and reduce the size of the Roundhill site from 38 hectares to 31.

The cuts are aimed at safeguarding some of the most sensitive parts of the Forest.

But New Forest Tourism Association has warned that the Hollands Wood scheme could create a shortage of camping pitches and damage the local economy.

Similar objections have been voiced by Brockenhurst traders, who say campers provide up to 30 per cent of their summer trade.

Now the debate has been joined by the CDA, which fears that moves to modernise the sites will change their character and appearance.

Chairman Richard Manley told the Court of Verderers in Lyndhurst: "We can accept that camping is part of the make-up of the modern-day forest, but cannot and will not agree to any form of urbanisation.

"Independent research carried out last summer demonstrates that the vast majority of campers visit because of the peace and tranquillity that the Forest offers.

"We would ask that the Court enters into immediate dialogue with the Forestry Commission to ascertain what can be done to alleviate our worst fears about specific aspects of this proposal."

Official Verderer Oliver Crosthwaite Eyre said the scheme was a "significant and important matter".

He added: "Before making our decision on the campsites we need to know the depth and scope of the public's feelings and opinions on these proposals."

The scheme was defended by the Forestry Commission's most senior official in the area, Deputy Surveyor Mike Seddon.

He said the scheme would move campers away from the Forest's rarest habitats, but would protect the local economy by making the surviving pitches more attractive to campers.

After the meeting Mr Manley renewed his attack on plans to provide hundreds of electrical hook-ups at the two sites.

He said: "It would be highly inappropriate and extremely dangerous to have leads trailing all over the place.

"We don't want to see hundreds of television sets in the Forest."