An application to expand a seasonal touring caravan park near a protected heritage and environmental site in East Yorkshire is set to be considered by the planning committee of East Riding of Yorkshire Council on Thursday, February 26.
The proposal, originally submitted in May 2023, seeks to increase the number of touring pitches at Daneswood Caravan Park on Bridlington Road, Flamborough, from 75 to 152, and to relocate an existing caravan storage area from a nearby farm onto the park site.
The caravan park is located opposite Danes Dyke, a scheduled monument and 148-acre nature reserve on the Flamborough Headland. The site centers on a two-and-a-half-mile ditch-and-bank earthwork that stretches across the headland from coast to coast.
While the application site borders Danes Dyke, there is no public access to the section of earthworks adjacent to the park. Access to the scheduled monument and a nearby beach is provided via a road and car park on the opposite side of Bridlington Road. The application site also falls within the Flamborough Headland Heritage Coast.
According to The York Press, approximately 4.7 acres of agricultural land would be incorporated into the caravan park. The extension would remain grassed, with no hard surface provision, and would include landscape planting and screening designed to limit views into the site from nearby public rights of way.
The relocation of caravan storage from a nearby farm is expected to reduce the movement of caravans along the main road between Flamborough and Bridlington during operational periods.
Six objections were submitted to the council, including one from the Flamborough Residents’ Association, which said the village has reached a tourism saturation point and that the application would more than double the current number of pitches at the site.
Natural England, acting as a statutory consultee, advised the council that applications for tourist accommodation developments in the vicinity of Flamborough Head may have led to increased recreational pressure on the coastline from Filey to Bridlington.
Council planning officers have recommended that the application be deferred to allow comments from the authority’s sustainable development team and to finalize a legal agreement securing a contribution of £20 per year, per new caravan pitch, toward the Flamborough Head European Marine Site Management framework.
This five-year framework coordinates public bodies to manage human activity around Flamborough Head and to protect special area of conservation habitats and special protection area seabird colonies from harmful impacts.
Planning documents state that if no adverse comments are received and the financial contribution is legally secured, the recommendation would be to approve the application.
The plans specify that all caravans must be removed from pitches between November 30 and March 31, and that no single touring caravan used for holiday purposes may remain on site for more than 28 days within any two-month period.
For owners and operators in the outdoor hospitality sector, the case highlights several operational and regulatory considerations. Expansion proposals near protected landscapes or designated conservation areas may require environmental mitigation payments, seasonal operating limits, and detailed landscape screening plans.
The requirement for annual per-pitch contributions to environmental management frameworks also illustrates how local authorities may structure long-term impact mitigation in sensitive coastal or heritage settings.
Operators considering similar growth strategies may benefit from early engagement with environmental consultees and sustainable development teams to reduce delays and clarify financial obligations tied to approvals.