Yorkshire caravan park given go-ahead to double in size despite concerns

East Riding Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee approved plans to increase the number of static caravan pitches at Lakeview Holiday Park, off Atwick Road, from 25 to 51.

The applicant’s agent Gemma Edwards told councillors East Riding officers raised no concerns over the part retrospective plans’s impact on neighbours or local roads.

The agent added the expansion would boost the local tourism industry amid economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

But Coun John Whittle, ward member for North Holderness which covers Bewholme, said the amount of people in the park would rival the village’s population if it went ahead.

Coun Whittle said: “The area could begin to turn into one big caravan site, this is a step too far.”

Coun Barbara Jefferson, also of North Holderness ward, said roads leading to the site were narrow, one way in places and were used by tractors and other farm vehicles.

Bewholme Parish Council also objected, stating the local community “needed assurances” over the expansion’s impact but noted the park’s owner wanted a good working relationship with them.

Council highways officers told the committee said there was “well established” access roads to the park with good visibility and 30mph zones on some stretches of it.

They added it included passing places and that council figures showed there had been no accidents on Atwick Road, one of the accesses, and others were “not dangerous”.

Planning officers told councillors the applicant had agreed to plant more trees on the site’s boundary to better screen it from view.

The applicant’s agent Ms Edwards told the committee: “The plans have received no technical objections from your officers although the parish council objected in a split decision. All surface water will be contained within the site and Yorkshire Water have raised no objections on drainage. These plans won’t result in any harm to the local community.”

Committee member Coun David Tucker, who spoke in favour of the plans, said: “Retrospective applications are not on. But this is a quality development and people are looking for out of the way parks to have some refuge and peace in the countryside.”

Coun Whittle said: “Our planning policy states that these parks are acceptable provided their scale and impact is appropriate, but I don’t think this is appropriate at all. There are hazards on roads leading to the site, the B1242 is particularly dangerous and others get used as rat runs during the summer to avoid traffic.

“There’s no shops or pub in Bewholme so visitors to the park won’t spend there, with this expansion they’ll out number those living in the village.”

Coun Jefferson said: “It’s in an open, rural area and these caravan sites seem to be getting larger. I feel sorry for local residents, our countryside is being covered with caravans.”

Committee chair Coun Sue Steel said: “I’m concerned because I’m hearing two different stories about the roads. I sympathise with the ward councillors but our highways officers are saying this is acceptable, so on balance I’m comfortable with it.”