Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire has submitted plans to replace an existing dwelling with three new holiday lets as the attraction continues to expand its on-site accommodation offering.
Folly Farm managing director Chris Ebsworth, through agent A D Architectural Design Consultants Ltd, has applied to Pembrokeshire County Council for permission to demolish Highcroft, a house located near Folly Farm Holiday Park, and redevelop the site with three detached holiday units.
Folly Farm Holiday Park forms part of Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, located near Begelly in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The attraction combines a zoo, farmyard animals, fairground rides, games, and adventure play areas and has developed its accommodation operation alongside the wider visitor attraction.
According to South Wales Argus, the proposed development would involve the demolition of Highcroft and an adjacent workshop, with the existing site being redeveloped to provide three holiday units. Each unit would have its own parking area and private amenity space.
The statement said: “To the right of the holiday park are three detached bungalows, all of which belong to Folly Farm, with our proposals involving demolishing the dwelling (known as Highcroft) and utilising the entire site into creating three proposed holiday units with their own private parking areas and amenity spaces.”
It added: “The size of the existing dwelling in relation to the overall site is mis-proportionate and there is at present an excessive area of garden area which isn’t utilised, therefore a proposal such as ours would make better use of the land.
“The entire dwelling and the adjacent workshop will be demolished as part of the proposal with the entire site open to the proposed development.”
The statement also said: “The Folly Farm Holiday Park is an ever-growing venture, and the addition of three units would be beneficial to the business, whilst making better use of the existing land.”
The application remains subject to consideration by county planners, who will determine whether permission is granted at a later date.
For outdoor hospitality operators, the proposal illustrates how an existing accommodation site can be expanded through the redevelopment of land already associated with an established tourism business. Rather than proposing an entirely separate site, the application would replace an existing dwelling with additional visitor accommodation, potentially allowing the operator to increase capacity while maintaining the connection between lodging and the main attraction.
Folly Farm has developed from its origins as a dairy farm diversification into a major visitor attraction. In 2023, the business marked its 35th anniversary. More than 500,000 visitors from the UK and overseas visit the attraction annually, according to the source article, and the business continues to be operated by members of the founding family.
The attraction opened its indoor vintage fairground in 1996 and introduced its first zoo animals in 2002. In 2009, it welcomed Wales’ only giraffes, while a black rhino calf named Glyndwr was born in 2020 in memory of founder Glyn Williams.
Folly Farm Holiday Park was also named the South Wales winner of the Best Family Campsite category in the 2024 awards and was runner-up in the UK-wide competition.
The latest application will now move through Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning process, with the outcome determining whether the three proposed holiday units can proceed.
