A WOOLSTON resident who was left in a wheelchair after a boating accident has embarked on a project to create a fully wheelchair-accessible woodland retreat.

The unique project in Lower Coltscombe, Slapton, has gone through pre-planning and a full planning application has been submitted.

Paddy Costeloe and his partner Nettie are the driving force behind the project, which is set to be the first of its kind in Britain. Paddy's situation led them to realise the severe need for this type of project in the UK.

Paddy said: 'The project is for everyone to enjoy the beauty of the South Hams. We want it to be a retreat designed for and aimed at the disabled market, but one that anyone else would find just as inviting, a place that's beautiful and tranquil that just happens to be accessible to everybody.

'It doesn't occur to the average healthy person that, for a person who needs specific facilities, it can be a monumental challenge to find a place to go on holiday.'

Moving to Devon from Antigua, Paddy and Nettie have received great support from many people in the area.

The existence of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, which became the Equality Act 2010, helped to secure the Olympic and Paralympic bid for Britain in 2012, and the plan is for the project to be an example of what the act was set out to accomplish.

The proposal includes eight contemporary woodland eco-lodges with cutting-edge facilities with mobility-, sight- and hearing-impairment-friendly bedrooms and en suites; a living and kitchen area; a main building comprising on-site operators' accommodation; communal facilities with a terrace overlooking the pond and water wheel; library; games room; dining area; and meeting room for group gatherings.

They have given careful consideration to comments from residents and have taken it upon themselves to try to alleviate any concerns over a loud holiday park.

They have commissioned their own traffic study, which concludes that 'it is unlikely that the proposed development's vehicular trip rate would lead to any adverse impact upon the function and safety of the local highway network'.

Michael Phillips of MP2 Design LLP in Malborough is the architect commissioned by Paddy and Nettie. He is passionate about the lack of fully accessible destinations in the South Hams.

He said: 'In my career I've come up against clients who want to do as little as possible to just pass the building regulations on disabled access. This project is fantastic in the fact that all the units are fully accessible.'