A proposed new game shooting lodge and car park have been branded ‘a danger’ by residents of a Buckinghamshire village.

More than 20 letters of objection have been submitted over plans to build the facilities on the Hutton Farm Estate, accessed via Main Road, Hambleden.

Ms Nancy Kerry complained that the commercial shoot would be ‘harmful to local wildlife and will cause significant noise pollution’ in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Writing to Buckinghamshire Council, she said: “This AONB is extremely popular with walkers and a commercial shoot is a danger to people using the footpaths and exercising their right to roam over adjoining Forestry Commission land.”

Four other couples, who all live nearby the site, also lodged objections over traffic concerns in a joint letter.

It read: “The access route includes a long steep hill which is hedged on both sides and, with significant additional traffic flows especially from large 4X4s and private cars, would present a significant and increased safety risk to walkers.”

However, Matt Bowett said vehicular and pedestrian access to the new facilities had been ‘designed with safety in mind’.

The applicant, of ‘Huttons Farm Shoot’, also defended the visual impact of his plans, which he claimed would ‘sit comfortably in the rural location’ and were ‘sensitive and sympathetic’ to the surrounding area.

Under the proposals, which were submitted to the council in September 2023, ‘redundant’ buildings and structures on the land would be demolished.

These would be replaced by a new two-storey shooting lodge facility arranged around a courtyard, which would be served by 16 car parking spaces.

Floorplans for the lodge show a gun room, luggage storage, toilets, showers, a bar, lounge, kitchen, dining hall and beaters room.

The 1.25-hectare application site to be developed is an area of land in the northwestern corner of woodland that has been fenced off for rearing game birds.

Mr Bowett’s plans state that the shoot lodge will employ 43 part-time staff and be used for from mid-September to February 1, with approximately 20 shoots during the season, averaging at two per week.

On shoot days three members of staff will be present on-site to provide catering and other services, while there will also be several staff including gun loaders and 25 ‘beaters’ – people who drive game birds towards the shooters.

In addition, gamekeepers and estate workers are employed year-round to manage the land where the shoot takes place.

The plans add: “For catering purposes, the applicants use local butchers and farm shops for meat and other produce. Guests also frequent local gun shops. Guests also provide custom to local hotels, bed and breakfasts, pubs and restaurants during the season.”

But despite the claimed benefits of the site, other objectors raise further issues including ‘noise pollution’ from firing guns and the impact of the ‘substantial group of buildings’ proposed, which have been described as ‘overkill’ just to satisfy a few more shooting days per season.

Chiltern villages councillor Mark Turner called the plans as ‘controversial’, given the new buildings would be located in the AONB.

He also said the application ‘seems very similar’ to one previously withdrawn and requested it be called in for a committee to determine if planners were minded to approve it.