Haven Leisure Limited has received approval to add 12 holiday accommodation units at Lydstep Beach Village in Pembrokeshire, Wales, increasing the coastal holiday park’s total number of pitches from 471 to 483.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee approved the application at a meeting in which planning officers recommended consent despite objections from Manorbier and Penally community councils and a conflict with the local development plan.
The approved development will include 11 accommodation units in the South of Pine Tree area and one in the North of Haven Crest area. The plans also cover decking, internal access roads, parking, landscaping and drainage infrastructure.
Planning officers characterized the proposal as an infill development within the existing holiday park rather than an expansion beyond the established site boundary. The officer report stated: “Planning permission is sought for the installation of 12 bases for the siting of holiday accommodation units (falling within the definition of a caravan), together with associated decking, internal access roads, parking, landscaping and drainage infrastructure.
“11 units are proposed within the South of Pine Tree area and one unit within the North of Haven Crest area.
“The proposal represents a modest infill development within the existing operational holiday park and does not extend the established site boundary into the surrounding countryside.”
Located overlooking Lydstep Bay about three kilometers southwest of Tenby, Lydstep Beach Village has operated for several decades. The existing site includes 471 holiday accommodation pitches as well as internal roads, parking, reception and leisure facilities, landscaped areas and other guest amenities.
The larger development area is currently grassed amenity space situated between existing holiday accommodation, woodland and internal roads. The second proposed location is a smaller area of open land near the coastline and existing accommodation.
According to Nation.Cymru, the 12 additional units will represent an increase of approximately 2.55% in the park’s holiday accommodation capacity. The application was considered by the development management committee because of the policy conflict and objections raised by the two community councils.
Speaking at the committee meeting, agent Helen Ashby-Ridgway of Lichfields described the proposal as “modest” and said it would not increase the overall footprint of the holiday park. She also highlighted the potential employment implications, noting that the site currently supports 123 jobs.
Committee members subsequently approved the application subject to a series of planning conditions, with one member abstaining.
For holiday park operators, the decision illustrates how incremental capacity increases can be considered differently from proposals that extend a site’s physical boundary. In this case, the proposed units are being accommodated within an established operational site, while associated infrastructure such as access, parking, drainage and landscaping remains part of the planning assessment.
The approval also indicates that operators seeking additional accommodation capacity may need to demonstrate how proposals interact with local planning policies, existing site layouts, surrounding landscapes and employment considerations.
