A PARISH council has labelled plans to add dozens of ‘luxury’ lodges to a holiday park in south Cumbria as ‘not appropriate’ for the location.

Pure Leisure Group has submitted plans to Westmorland and Furness Council to add 53 static caravans on land next to Coniston View Holiday Park off the Coast Road near Newbiggin.

According to planning documents, there is ‘significant demand’ for this type of holiday accommodation which is expected to increase due to the planned Eden Project in Morecambe.

However, Aldingham Parish Council has responded to the plans to raise concerns regarding access to the site.

The parish council said: “We feel that the scale of this development is not appropriate for the location intended.

“The location on the coast road to the west of Aldingham is poorly served in terms of access and infrastructure to support such a large development.”

Aldingham Parish Council added the single carriageway on Coast Road has a ‘poor safety record’ and described the bus service to the location as ‘very poor’.

A transport statement submitted with the proposals says there has not been any recorded injury accidents at the site junction with Coast Road in the last five years.

The statement adds: “With the relatively low traffic generation for the proposed development then the proposed development is not anticipated to worsen the road safety record and there should be no road safety grounds to refuse the development.”

The planning statement also pointed out the demand for holiday accommodation was putting pressure on housing supply in tourism hotspots.

It adds: “The provision of additional holiday accommodation at the subject site will therefore help reduce pressure on existing housing stock in the wider locality being taken up as holiday accommodation.”

Plans add the proposed development will contribute towards ‘diversifying’ and ‘growing’ the local economy.

According to figures in the planning statement, based on a 39 per cent occupation of the lodges, the proposed development could contribute between £761,981 to £1,637,170 visitor spend per annum.

The holiday park was initially given planning permission in 2007 for the siting of 41 static caravans, a reception building and associated infrastructure.

Then in 2020, the site was granted planning permission for the siting of 50 touring caravans on land east of the existing holiday park.

This planning application is undergoing public consultation.