Dorset Council has rejected an application to expand Larkfield Caravan Park in Burton Bradstock with the addition of new holiday lodges, citing potential harm to the landscape, flood risk, and limited tourism benefits.
The decision followed full support from Burton Bradstock Parish Council after a site visit, but also opposition from 14 residents living within the park.
The application, submitted by West Dorset Leisure Holidays Ltd, sought permission for seven new lodges within and adjacent to the existing site, as well as two further plots indicated on planning drawings for potential lodges.
According to the Daily Echo, plans also included new access routes, landscaping, and 18 additional parking spaces.
The park lies within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the buffer zone of the Chesil Beach and Ramsar site. Dorset Council’s report highlighted that parts of the site face a one-in-thirty-year flood risk.
Objectors raised concerns about increased traffic, a loss of biodiversity, overlooking, the impact on the AONB, and a shift toward rental units changing the “private ambience” of the site.
Planning officers concluded there was no identified need for expansion, stating the proposal would “likely harm the character, special qualities, and natural beauty of the National Landscape.” They also noted the absence of a comprehensive surface water strategy.
“On balance, given there is provision of holiday accommodation elsewhere, the limited benefits to tourism of the proposal would be outweighed by the harm to landscape and heritage, risk of flooding and harm to the environment,” the report stated.
An agent representing the park owners said, “The proposed development has been designed in its genesis to allow this long-established Holiday Park to continue to evolve as a high-quality holiday destination for the visitor economy of Dorset.”
”To maintain the important contribution of the site to the local economy, the scheme seeks to introduce additional, high-quality holiday lodges in order to provide a higher quality of tourist accommodation to seamlessly integrate and expand the existing facility.”
For outdoor hospitality operators, the decision underscores the importance of addressing environmental considerations, planning constraints, and local community concerns early in the design process.
Proposals within protected landscapes, such as AONBs, often require robust environmental impact assessments, flood risk mitigation strategies, and clear evidence of tourism demand to satisfy planning authorities.