Tree maze planned for popular park
Plans to extend a popular Midlothian adventure playground with a giant tree maze have been lodged with planners.
The Buccleuch Estate, which operates Fort Douglas at Dalkeith Country Park, has applied to extend the boundary of the play park on a site of nearly two hectares – equivalent to almost four football pitches.
The plans for the land, which is mainly covered in Douglas Fir trees show the creation of a maze within the trees as the operators look to “continue enhancements and new attractions”.
It is the latest in a line of planning applications and expansions at the park in recent years. Plans have also been lodged to put new shelters on the site.
Two years ago the park applied for permission to expand its space to create more space for picnics and amenity space for families as its continued development of the attractions meant there was less open space.
And in 2021 the Buccleuch Estate was granted planning permission to add two giant jumping pillows to the adventure playground.
The estate has been praised by the council in the past for creating the play park around trees rather than removing them. The latest proposals also plan to work around the trees with no plans to remove any of them. Instead they are applying to move deer fencing to the wider boundary and create a new larger playground area.
Members of the public can comment on or object to applications by searching for and viewing documents for local applications via Public Notice Portal - publicnoticeportal.uk - or Midlothian Council's planning portal.