Unity Holidays has received planning approval for the first phase of a proposed £20 million redevelopment of Skirlington Coast Yorkshire, marking a significant milestone in the company’s plans to modernize the East Yorkshire holiday park after acquiring the property in 2024.
The approved plans, endorsed by East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s planning committee, cover the redevelopment of land currently occupied by Skirlington Market, including the conversion and alteration of the existing market building and surrounding area. The project forms part of a broader investment by Unity Holidays’ parent company, Legacy Leisure Group, to expand the park’s leisure and hospitality offerings.
According to AOL, the redevelopment will include a new entertainment district featuring a food and beverage pavilion, a promenade-style walkway, an outdoor lido with a swimming pool, funfair attractions, cabanas, pop-up entertainment spaces, a splash pad with a children’s pool, landscaped seating areas, a terrace with a feature piazza, and a new parking area. Company representatives have said the investment is expected to create more than 120 permanent jobs in addition to seasonal employment opportunities.
A separate element of the planning application, which seeks approval for 92 new caravans, was deferred by the planning committee. The proposal is intended to compensate for the loss of existing caravans affected by coastal erosion, according to the company. Further discussions with the council are expected before that portion of the application is reconsidered.
The redevelopment also marks the end of approximately 40 years of trading at Skirlington Market, which has operated on the holiday park’s parking area. The proposal attracted opposition from market traders and directors, with more than 12,000 people signing a petition calling for the application to be rejected.
Planning officers, however, advised committee members that the dispute between market operators and Legacy Leisure was not a planning matter and therefore could not be considered as grounds for refusing the application. As a result, the committee approved the redevelopment while postponing a decision on the caravan expansion.
For operators across the outdoor hospitality sector, the project reflects a continuing trend toward investing in experience-driven amenities designed to extend guest stays and diversify on-site revenue.
Features such as outdoor recreation spaces, food and beverage venues, entertainment programming, and upgraded public areas have become increasingly common components of redevelopment strategies as park owners seek to attract a broader range of travelers. At the same time, the deferred caravan proposal highlights the planning and regulatory considerations that can accompany expansion projects, particularly in coastal destinations where erosion and land-use policies influence long-term development.
A spokesman for Unity Holidays said: “We thank the council’s planning committee for approving our application to redevelop the land on our park currently occupied by Skirlington Market, as well as the buildings on that land used by the market.
“We look forward to commencing work on that project as soon as possible, which will see us add indoor and outdoor sport and leisure facilities as well as re landscaping the entire area. Our application to compensate for the loss of caravans to coastal erosion – in line with the council’s planning policy – was deferred.
“We look forward to discussing with the council and clarifying their grounds for deferral, and to the planning committee supporting that proposal as well in due course.”