Plans have been submitted to Somerset Council for an expansion of caravan accommodation at Unity Beach Holiday Park in Brean, involving a change of use of part of an existing golf course.
The application, submitted on behalf of Brean Leisure Park Ltd by Pea Green Environmental Planning, seeks an Environmental Impact Assessment screening opinion for the proposed development. The request relates to land that currently forms part of Brean Country Club, located on the northern edge of Unity Beach Holiday Park and approximately 200 metres east of Brean Beach.
If approved, the proposal would see a section of the golf course repurposed to accommodate static holiday caravans. Six holes of the existing course are located within the area identified for development.
According to the planning submission, the resort is “considering stationing around 150–160 static holiday caravans on the site”, which would operate as an extension to the established holiday park.
The planning application states that, in addition to the caravans themselves, associated infrastructure would be required. “Along with the stationing of caravans, the development would include ancillary infrastructure such as the creation of hardstanding bases, laying of service/utility corridors, vehicular roadways, car parking, pedestrian/cycle paths and landscaping,” the application said.
Access to the new area would be provided through the existing holiday park, with a new internal roadway entering the site from the south-west corner off Richard’s Way.
Brean Leisure Park changed ownership in 2024, when it was sold to a private equity firm. According to Burnham & Highbridge Weekly News, the new owners have since taken on redevelopment responsibilities across the wider Brean Leisure Park estate, including Brean Splash.
Unity Beach Holiday Park is operated by Unity Holidays, which offers two-, three- and four-bedroom static caravans, alongside seasonal touring pitches that allow caravan owners to rent a fixed location within the park.
Unity Holidays also operates additional holiday parks at Skirlington Coast in Yorkshire and Seven Lakes in Lincolnshire, making Unity Beach part of a broader UK portfolio of coastal and countryside destinations.
In its submission, Pea Green Environmental Planning acknowledged that the proposed expansion could result in increased visitor numbers to Brean Beach. However, it concluded that the development would not have a significant impact on the local highway network or public viewpoints, noting that most views of the site are currently limited to users of the golf course itself.
Consultation on the Environmental Impact Assessment screening request began on January 22. Somerset Council has indicated that public comments are not being invited at this stage of the process. The application can be viewed under reference number 06/26/00001.
For professionals in the outdoor hospitality and caravan sectors, the proposal reflects a wider trend of repurposing under-utilised leisure land to meet sustained demand for static holiday accommodation, particularly in established coastal destinations.
The outcome of the screening decision may provide useful insight into how local planning authorities are currently assessing environmental thresholds for holiday park expansions of this scale.