Proposals for extra facilities at north Northumberland holiday park

The application, for the siting of 24 timber holiday lodges, 10 static caravans, including associated site access roads, and construction of a miniature golf course, relates to Felmoor Holiday Park at Bockenfield, near Felton.

The new lodges and caravans would all be designed similarly to the existing accommodation on the site.

The 16-hectare plot, directly next to the A1, once formed part of an RAF base, but much of the site was disused and falling into disrepair when it was converted into a holiday park more than a decade ago.

The first 50 caravans and 20 timber chalets were given the go-ahead in August 2007, followed in 2013 by planning permission for an extra 58 lodges, 13 touring pitches, an accommodation block, utility/toilet block, caravan storage and maintenance area, and 10 camping pods/micro-lodges.

A planning statement claims that the proposals ‘provide a number of benefits’, in terms of ‘economic development opportunities in that an existing business would be expanded with the potential to create employment opportunities and spin-off benefits to other businesses in the local supply chain’ and that it ‘provides additional tourist accommodation that is needed’.

In terms of planning policies and the potential impacts of the development, it says: ‘The proposal should be well related to an existing settlement (Bockenfield) and an existing group of buildings (Felmoor Holiday Park) and would blend with the landscape.

‘The units will not be seen from any adjoining public vantage points as the site is so well-wooded.

‘All buildings would be of a scale, character and materials which respect local building styles and that of existing buildings on the site.

‘There would be no detrimental effect on areas of high landscape value. There would also be no adverse impact on any areas of best and most versatile agricultural land or on farm structure.’

The application – 18/03736/FUL – can be viewed on Northumberland County Council’s planning portal at https://publicaccess.northumberland.gov.ukBen O'Connell, Local Democracy Reporting Service