Caravans plan blocked over threat to sea views

Plans for new caravans at a North Yorkshire holiday park have been refused by the council.

It comes after caravan owners at Reighton Sands Holiday Village, near Filey, said the proposed plots would block their sea views.

Objecting to Haven Leisure's plans, owners said they had "paid a premium for sea view pitches and were told nothing would ever be built in front of them".

North Yorkshire Council rejected the proposed 17 static caravan bases, deciding it would "erode the character and appearance" of the undeveloped coastal buffer.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, ​objections were made by 77 members of the public who had "concerns about loss of tranquility, use of a valued green space and views enjoyed for decades".

The scheme would have been on land containing a derelict former residential building and garage.

​A new internal access road would have also been created for the proposed static caravans.

​Reighton and Speeton Parish Council also objected, citing concerns about increased traffic through the village, particularly along the narrow St Helen's Lane.

​Council planners described the proposal as "an intrusive, skyline-breaking and urbanising form of development which would be readily visible from the beach and immediate coastal hinterland".

Officers said the open cliff top character was "strongly valued" and the site was "highly sensitive".

The applicant had previously scaled down the proposal but North Yorkshire Council concluded the harm "could not be acceptably mitigated".

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