Plans for more than 100 holiday lodges on farmland outside Stokesley and Thirsk have been recommended for approval, despite concerns they could see North Yorkshire’s booming glamping and holiday lodge industry swamped.
In the latest of a series of proposals to extend holiday accommodation in the county, Hambleton District Council’s planning committee will consider schemes close to the North York Moors National Park on Thursday.
Industry spokesman say the boom in high end holiday accommodation is partly being driven as consumers are looking for a different holiday experience rather than “a run of the mill cottage”.
Coppergreen Developments has proposed extending the Woodland Lodges holiday accommodation and leisure site on the western edge of Carlton Miniott, Thirsk, by some 80 holiday lodges around newly formed ornamental ponds, which would bring the site to more than 200 lodges.
Councillors will hear the developers claim how the proposed lodges would be built over seven hectares of farmland graded the best and most versatile and would “not unduly impact upon the residential amenity” as they would be 240m away from the nearest homes.
Recent years have seen a leisure facilities building, with a pool, restaurant, spa and children’s play area at the site created as it became part of the Landal GreenParks brand, which offers 96 holiday locations across nine European countries.
Local residents have complained over the scale of the expansion of Woodland Lodges, describing the proposals as “rather excessive” and said they already suffered from the lodges being used by stag and hen parties.
Jane and Nick Mogridge questioned the applicant’s suggestion the enlarged development would attract 67,800 visitors a year annum.
In a letter of objection they wrote: “We understand that given the recent pandemic there is a current trend for ‘staycation’ holidays. However, with the previously approved units having yet to be constructed and opened for business, how can the need sustainability of a development of this scale be
proven at this time?”
Documents submtted with the proposal to change of use of grazing land to provide 23 log cabins and four glamping pods at Tame Bridge, near Stokesley, claim they would be both “sought-after and viable in business terms”, despite a number of competitors in the area.
Highlighting letters of support from national tourism operators
Hoseasons and Sykes Cottages, the developers claim the tourism market in North Yorkshire “is performing above average and that demand is outstripping supply in the area around the North York Moors”.
However, in a letter of objection Rudby Parish Council raised concerns the business might not be viable “since the local market for this type of
accommodation may already be oversaturated”, highlighting how nearby sites had not proved popular.
Nevertheless, recommending both plans be approved, planning officers have concluded the holiday developments would not have any significant adverse
impacts on neighbouring residents. They added any harm to the surrounding countryside could either be offset or would not be serious.
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