Abersoch luxury park can open all year round
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A luxury holiday park will be allowed to remain open all year round in what developers say will create 35 new jobs on the Llŷn Peninsula.
The Warren in Abersoch, Gwynedd – which has space for 500 lodges and caravans as well as its own private beach – currently has to shut between January 17 and March 1 to obey planning rules.
But on Monday the authority’s planning committee agreed to lift the restriction after being satisfied that enough measures are in place to ensure that no-one can use the park as their primary residence.
Such fears had been raised by Llanengan Community Council, which said that allowing 12 month opening would lead to an “estate” of holiday homes.
Jeremy Lamb, the agent for the applicants, said that there was an increased demand for short breaks in February, citing the financial benefits during what has been an an off-peak period for tourism.
He said the park already employed over 100 people, and added that £8m had been spent on a new spa and upgrading existing facilities. The Warren’s owners insisting that stringent measures are already in place to ensure that people do not use their caravans or lodges as their main residences.
“Haulfryn Group have procedures in place for checking and recording proof of address for holiday caravan and holiday lodge owners, the information is retained on a database which is updated annually,” they said in a supporting document.
“The Licence Agreement for a holiday caravan pitch which is issued by Haulfryn Group to all holiday caravan and holiday lodge owners clearly states that the holiday caravans are for holiday and recreational purposes only and are not to be used for permanent residential purposes.
“The proof of a permanent residential address has to be provided on an annual basis by the holiday caravan /holiday lodge owner to Haulfryn, if it is not provided, the Licence Agreement would be jeopardised.”
Cllr Gruffydd Williams, conceding that the committee’s hands were “largely tied,” noted that due to the price range of some of the luxury lodges – known to have sold for £500,000 or more – it was possible that some would use the caravans as their main residence while maintaining another home elsewhere.
But Cllr Stephen Churchman felt it was time to acknowledge a shift in tourism patterns, having become “something of an all year round event.”
“I have personally been away over Christmas and New Year before, so recognise that if I want to then others surely do, too.
“We might as well get the advantage out of it for our communities, or else the tourists will just go elsewhere.
“This planning application changes nothing physically as the site is already there, so its a case of what we can get for our people.
“I understand concerns in regards to policing (all year round stays) but what’s stopping them doing so for 46 weeks now?
“I see nothing to gain from refusing and it underpins employment and gives more people the chance to work full-time.”
The application was approved by six votes to two.
By Gareth Williams – Local Democracy Reporter
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