Planners say golf club’s drive for 49 new caravans is ‘unacceptable’

Liam Randall, local democracy reporter

Plans to locate nearly 50 new caravans next to a golf club in Flintshire look set to be refused amid concerns regarding overdevelopment.

Pennant Park Golf Club in Whitford, near Holywell, already has permission to house 73 caravans for holidaymakers.

Owners Ian and Robin Jones applied in September to add a further 49 caravans on land formerly used as a practice area for golfers.

Agents acting on their behalf previously said the units, which would be located near the course’s clubhouse, would boost the area’s economy by more than £500,000 per year.

However, 26 letters of objection have been submitted by local residents ahead of a crunch meeting next week, with many opposed to the scale of the development.

Flintshire Council’s chief planning officer has advised councillors to refuse permission after describing the scheme as “unacceptable”.

In a report, Andrew Farrow said: “Pennant Park Golf Club has had a number of planning applications permitted since 2005 to allow for the siting of a total of 73 holiday accommodation units, proposed in the absence of an overall masterplan for development of the site.

“It is important to note that only 18 of the consented 73 units have been completed to date, the full impact of this scale of development yet to be realised from landscape, highway and ecological perspectives.

“It is considered that a further 49 units as proposed would represent overdevelopment and be unacceptable given the potential safety implications associated with the increased usage of the site and proximity to the public footpath and bridleway network in the locality.

“The applications at this location have been submitted in a piecemeal fashion, this current proposal raising concerns in respect of ecology and drainage, including concerns that development does not represent positive place making in accordance with Planning Policy Wales.”

Overdevelopment

An application to create 26 new caravans at the site was approved by councillors in November 2018 despite similar concerns being raised regarding overdevelopment.

A planning statement submitted by the applicants claims the latest proposals would provide a considerable economic benefit.

It states: “It is considered that the economic spend arising from the proposed development will be in the region of £550,000 per annum which assumes a 35 per cent occupancy.

“However, given the popularity of domestic tourism in the UK, particularly in North Wales and the predicted “bounce-back” from the Covid-19 pandemic, we envisage that the economic spend generated by the lodges will be far greater than £550,000

“Therefore, the proposed development has positive sustainability credentials in terms of economic spend and therefore accords with national and local planning policy.”

The proposals will be considered by members of the council’s planning committee at a meeting on Wednesday (March 2, 2022).