Park Holidays reveals hopes for 2023 as new plans submitted for Widdrington site

Park Holidays is hoping to begin work on Widdrington Lakes Holiday Park over the coming year, creating more than 900 units.

It already has full planning permission for up to 275 static caravan pitches and 200 all-weather pitches for tourers and tents.

It also has outline planning permission for a further 475 hard standing bases for holiday homes and a cafe.

Park Holidays, which acquired the 320-acre site from Callaly Leisure earlier this year, has now submitted an application seeking reserved matters permission for details including access, appearance, layout and scale on those 475 homes.

A spokesperson for the company said: “Park Holidays UK confirms that it is hoping to begin the development in 2023 of Widdrington Lakes Holiday Park, formerly known as Chevington Castle, for which planning consent presently exists.

"The company intends this to be a high quality park destination which will help satisfy the growing demand for self-catering holidays in beautiful and well-managed surroundings, and with supporting guest facilities.

"Park Holidays UK was established 35 years ago, and now has a presence in 40-plus coastal and countryside locations across England, Wales and Scotland.”

The site was formerly part of the larger Steadsburn opencast coal mining site located half a mile north west of Widdrington village.

Mining on the site ceased in 2011 and between the cessation of mining operations between 2011 to 2014, the site was restored to low quality agricultural land centred around two lakes on the southern boundary of the site.

A geotechnical report compiled on the applicant’s behalf indicates ‘negligible’ gas risks associated with the restoration of the coal workings.

The single story design of the proposed holiday accommodation will be consistent with the approved phase one static caravan development area to the south.

The plans also include the retention of a nine-hole golf course to the north and east.

A report on the applicant’s behalf stresses that the principle of leisure development at the site has already been established.

It also highlights the ‘significant economic benefits’ it would bring including both full and part-time job creation throughout the construction phase and post-development along with ongoing and enhanced visitor spend into the local economy.