Park wants to stay open all year round

Kaims Country Park, near Bamburgh, currently has a restriction on its planning permission which requires that no caravans be occupied for a two-month period.

Maguires Country Parks, which bought the park earlier this year, has applied to Northumberland County Council for a variation of that condition to allow it to be used for holidays at any time of the year.

Planning consultant Mark Southerton, in a report accompanying the application, states: ‘This application seeks to allow visitors to come to the park at any time of the year.

‘It is not considered that a closed season is necessary given that full control over occupancy can be better achieved by other conditions to ensure the site is used for holiday purposes only.

‘If some sort of short closed period is considered necessary for some reason, despite this, then it would be preferable if that was for the last week in January and the first week of February so that the open season includes the February school half-term which is popular with visitors – subject to the weather!’

The company says its static caravan would be fully winterised and of a standard suitable for use at any time.

‘The proposal does not seek to alter the holiday-use limitation on the site but simply seeks to allow people to come on holiday whenever they wish,’ adds Mr Southerton.

He also points out the economic benefits of year-round employment and increased spending locally in the quieter winter months and calls for ‘a level playing field’ with other competing businesses which can open at all times of the year.

It is envisaged, if agreed, that an agreement would be entered into between the park owner and caravan owner that the caravan is occupied for holiday purposes only and not as a sole or main place of residence. A register of main home addresses would be kept.

Maguires already operates five caravan sites across the region, including the award-winning Ord House Country Park, near Berwick, and Forget Me Not Country Park at Longhorsley.