Flamborough residents 'claim coastal village can't cope with any more caravan parks'

An East Riding councillor has called for no further caravan parks to be built in Flamborough, claiming the village and its infrastructure cannot cope with more.

Coun Mike Heslop-Mullens, Liberal Democrat ward member for Bridlington North on East Riding Council, said roads in Flamborough were not designed to cope with traffic levels the parks draw in.

The councillor added it was not “necessarily the case” that such parks brought money into the area, claiming most holidaymakers stayed and shopped on site rather than in Flamborough itself.

It comes as Coun Heslop-Mullens is set to raise the issue at the next full meeting of the council on Wednesday November 18.

It also follows the recent approval of a number of such parks on the East Riding coast, including one featuring 420 pitches in Skipsea.

The council’s Planning Committee heard the park could bring £4.3m into the local economy and create 70 full time jobs when it granted permission in October.

But several objectors, including a neighbouring farmer, said it would lead to mounting pressure on local roads and could create a “sprawl” of holiday parks on the coast.

Coun Heslop-Mullens said parks with planning permission should still go ahead but there should be a limit on further expansion.

The Liberal Democrat said: “The caravan parks have reached such a size that there’s more people in the Flamborough Head ones than in the village itself.

“The roads aren’t suited to cars towing 30 foot caravans down them, some of the bends on them are dangerous.

“It also puts a strain on local bus services, the area’s reached its limit.

“The more of these parks they build, the more natural areas and green space in Flamborough are encroached on.

“Plans for parks that have been improved already should still go ahead, but I don’t think we should be approving any more.

“Flamborough itself has a lot of parks and second holiday homes, but they don’t contribute to employment except for businesses close to them that serve the holidaymakers.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily the case that they contribute to the local economy either.

“A lot of those who come to stay in the parks bring their own food with them and the sites have their own shops, so if they need milk then they buy it from there, they don’t go into the village.

“Despite the parks there aren’t that many jobs in the area and a lot of them are low paid.

“Flamborough residents aren’t happy about the expansions, it’s causing them a lot of distress and I think they’ll be a reaction if they get any more.”