Second phase of new caravan park in Northumberland is recommended for planning consent

Work is already underway on the first phase of Park Holidays’ new site near Widdrington, which will include 275 static caravans plots and 200 touring caravan plots.

The firm submitted a planning application for the second phase of the park in December 2022, and Northumberland County Council planning officers are recommending the application is nodded through by councillors next week.

The phase two proposals would see the park extended with 425 additional bases for holiday homes, 50 less than initially proposed. The plans have also been altered to include general recreation space in place of the site’s nine hole golf course.

Outline permission for phase two was approved in 2020 when full consent was granted to phase one, which also includes a bathroom block, a reception and amenity building, an outdoor play area, water activities, a workshop, and access roads.

The caravan park’s 104 hectare site was previously the Steadsburn opencast coal mine, which stopped operating in 2011, and now contains three man-made lakes.

The holiday park planning application received 33 letters of objection and a petition with 40 signatures that objected to the proposal was also submitted to the council.

Concerns raised included objections to the scale of the development, the impact on wildlife, increased traffic and disruption in Widdrington, and concerns about additional strain on local public services.

Tritlington And West Chevington Parish Council said it “requests that the views of the local residents are taken into consideration as a large number of concerns have been raised.”

Widdrington Parish Council objected to the proposal, and said: “This application will blight local wildlife, the environment, and the community, and will bring no long term benefits to Widdrington Village or the surrounding areas.

“All the parish council can see is increased traffic, some unsuitable for the terrain, increased crime rates, and reduced public safety.”

A planning report submitted by Park Holidays argued the principle of leisure development at the site is already established and that extending the development would bring ‘significant economic benefits’ through job creation and visitor spend.

Council officers ultimately decided to recommend the plans for approval. Their report said: “Consultation has been carried out with public protection colleagues who do not consider there would be any detrimental harm to the amenity of residents by way of noise, air, or light pollution once the development is completed.

“Further consultation has been carried out with the council’s highways department who, subject to relevant conditions, do not consider there would be any further harmful impacts by traffic generation or impact to the highway.”

The report added: “Overall, in terms of design and appearance, layout, landscaping, impact on trees, and the impact on the amenity of occupants of the proposed development, it is considered the proposal is acceptable.”

The Castle Morpeth Local Area Planning Committee will meet on Monday, July 8 to decide on the application, along with plans for a solar farm in West Chevington, an equestrian centre near Morpeth, and a restaurant in Pegswood.