Plans to relocate 47 caravan pitches to an existing holiday park near New Quay in Ceredigion are once again facing a recommendation for refusal, ahead of a decision by Ceredigion County Council’s Development Management Committee on June 10.
The application, submitted by Vale Holiday Parks Ltd through agent Geraint John Planning Ltd, proposes relocating 17 caravans from Wern Mill Caravan Park in Gilfachrheda and 30 caravans from The Village Holiday Park in Cross Inn to Ocean Heights Holiday Park in Maenygroes. The proposed relocation would create 47 pitches at Ocean Heights, located approximately 1.6 miles from the coastal town of New Quay along the A486.
According to a supporting planning statement submitted with the application, the caravans currently located at Wern Mill and The Village Holiday Park “would form a natural extension to the existing Ocean Heights Park.”
The proposal has generated opposition from local residents and community representatives since it was submitted last year. Llanllwchaearn Community Council has formally objected to the plans, citing concerns about the scale of the expansion and its potential effects on the surrounding area.
In its comments, the council stated that the development “would double the area of the site” and raised a number of concerns before concluding: “The council recognised the strong opinion expressed by the residents of Maen-y-groes against this application.”
New Quay Town Council has not discussed the application because several council members declared interests in the matter, leaving the council without a quorum to consider the proposal, according to Herald.Wales.
Numerous objections have also been submitted through the county council’s planning portal. Concerns raised by residents include road safety, pressure on wastewater infrastructure, effects on nearby communities, and claims that the proposal would represent excessive development in the area.
The application has experienced several delays during the planning process. It was initially recommended for refusal ahead of the Development Management Committee’s March meeting but was deferred at the start of that session. The item was subsequently removed from the agenda after additional information was provided to committee members following publication of meeting papers.
The proposal returned to the committee in May with another recommendation for refusal. However, it was again withdrawn from consideration after additional correspondence was received late in the process.
Planning officers have maintained their concerns throughout the review. In a report prepared for committee members, officers stated that the site “is not considered to function as a sustainable location, due to its limited active travel connectivity, lack of local services, and continued reliance on private car travel.”
The report further stated that the proposal had not “demonstrated that the development is small scale or meets a specific local need, nor does it accord with the rural enterprise provisions of TAN 6,” while noting that it “would increase the number of static caravans within the coastal area and would not result in any significant and permanent visual improvement to Wern Mill”.
Officers also concluded: “Only limited visual benefit would arise at the Village Holiday Park, while clear landscape harm would occur at Ocean Heights, and the proposal is also likely to have some negative effect on the facilities within Cross Inn.
“The proposal represents a significant expansion of the existing holiday park onto undeveloped greenfield land at the rural edge of Maen-y-Groes, a settlement with no services and limited active travel connections.”
The report additionally noted that the loss of Best and Most Versatile agricultural land had not been justified by any overriding need.
For holiday park operators and developers, the case highlights the continued importance of demonstrating sustainable site locations, addressing infrastructure concerns, and providing clear evidence of environmental and community benefits when seeking approval for park expansions or pitch relocations.
As planning authorities across the United Kingdom increasingly scrutinize development proposals in rural and coastal areas, operators may face greater emphasis on transportation links, landscape impacts, and land-use considerations during the approval process.
The application is scheduled to be considered again by Ceredigion County Council’s Development Management Committee on June 10, with planning officers continuing to recommend refusal.