Bid lodged to add 40 extra chalets to planned Newbury holiday park.

Total number of lodges on agricultural land near racecourse will be 65 if plans approved

A HOLIDAY park providing accommodation for 65 families could be developed in Newbury if current proposals are approved.

Plans to put up 25 holiday lodges on land south of Lower Farm, Hambridge Lane, were approved on appeal in 2015 – and now operator Dream Lodge Group has submitted fresh proposals to extend the site.

The new application seeks a change of use from agricultural land in order to place an additional 40 holiday lodges on the site, along with construction of an access road and landscaping.

The park would be situated directly to the east of Newbury Racecourse and would be accessed via an unnamed road that runs south from Hambridge Lane.

Speaking about the additional lodges, the applicant states that, economically, the proposed development would help to secure the delivery and long-term success of the site as a whole.

In the initial plans for the 25-chalet site, Dream Lodge Group speculated that the new holiday park would boost the local economy by around £770,000 in local visitor expenditure, as well as help create employment in the area.

West Berkshire Council initially rejected the plans in 2013, saying they conflicted with its core strategy, while also raising concerns over highway safety and the negative impact on the character of the local landscape.

However, the plans were subsequently allowed on appeal, with the planning inspector imposing a number of conditions – one of them being that the lodges must only be occupied for the purposes of holiday accommodation.

In his decision to allow the appeal, planning inspector John Felgate said the proposed holiday park would be an “attractive development of 25 holiday units, in a location suitable for countryside leisure pursuits such as walking, riding, and fishing, and convenient for the nearby racecourse, golf course and other visitor attractions such as the well-known Highclere Castle”.

He also said that the development could potentially boost the local economy.

If approved, the holiday park would be situated on the 9.3-hectare site and would provide a mix of two- and three-bed chalets.

The site would also comprise a reception building and associated parking.

According to the application, the lodges would be made off-site and brought on site in two parts.

A decision on whether to grant permission for the additional 45 lodges will be made by West Berkshire Council in coming weeks.