A caravan park in a popular area of Northumberland is set for a significant expansion despite objections from the local parish council and a prominent campaign group.
Dunham Leisure Limited have applied for planning permission to create up to 1999 new static caravan pitches and associated infrastructure at the South Meadows Caravan Park near Belford. The existing site has around 300 pitches, of which approximately 100 are for static caravans.
The plans have been recommended for approval by Northumberland County Council planners ahead of a meeting of the strategic planning committee on Tuesday. However, Belford and Middleton Parish Council has raised an objection alongside The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).
The parish council branded the application “gross over-development” and warned it would have an impact on the “visual amenity” of the southern part of Belford, particularly the Grade I listed Belford Hall. Concerns were also raised about highways safety and the capacity of Belford Sewage Treatment Plant.
The CPRE said the increase on the current provision would be “significant” and feared a negative impact on the adjacent woodland due to “the rise in disturbance from intrusion by the numbers of people on the site”. The CPRE also pointed to the fact that five objections had been submitted by local residents to the plans.
However, 12 comments of support for the proposals have also been submitted to the council. A design and access statement produced by planning agents Savills on behalf of the applicant states that the park is currently “generally quiet and family friendly”.
The applicant had initially requested permission for 237 static caravan pitches, but this has been reduced during the application process. Concerns raised by locals about a lack of services, including shops, in the area has led to the applicant proposing to convert an existing laundry room into a shop selling basics such as bread and milk to meet “urgent need” and reduce trips to the village’s Co-op.
The application will be debated by councillors at the next meeting of the strategic planning committee on Tuesday at County Hall in Morpeth.
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