Longbeach Leisure Park: Cliff-top Yorkshire holiday park wants to expand - despite erosion risk

Longbeach Leisure Park has submitted plans to East Riding Council for 111 pitches on 16 acres of grassland to the south of its existing site.

The new area is not covered by coastal defences and an average 2.78 metres a year of land is currently being lost to the sea, with large chunks of up to 11 metres going at a time, according to planning documents online.

The plans say the development’s northern edge is 80 metres from the cliff edge and the southern edge is 130 metres. Based on current rates of erosion, the caravans would have a lifespan of between 32 and 50 years.

The plans say the owners are looking for a less regimented feel and there will be a large amount of green space.

The application states: “We have intentionally left a 20-metre landscape buffer on the eastern side of the site closest to the coast in order to improve the longevity and lifespan of the site.”

The 111 pitches will include 105 standard caravans and six twin caravans and access will be through the existing caravan park.

In 1,000 years, the Holderness coast has retreated about 1.25 miles, with the loss of 26 villages.