By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter
A restriction that only allowed people to holiday in a caravan park for 28 days each year has been lifted by a council.
Newark and Sherwood District Council approved an application to remove the restriction on how long people stay in touring caravans at Robin Hood Retreat Caravan Park, Belle Eau Park, yesterday (October 8).
The Newark site is used as a holiday park for holiday caravans and storage of the mobile homes.
There was a previous application in 2017 for an extra 15 caravans for holiday use on the site which was approved.
The current application sought to remove a condition of the previous application, which prevented occupation of the 15 touring pitches by the same person for more than 28 days in a year.
In the applicant’s supporting statement, they called the condition “overly restrictive”, with it failing to take into account people’s holidaying preferences.
They said: “Since the onset of Covid, people’s working practices are far more flexible and with the improvements in caravan and lodge design, all year-round holidaying is far more popular and more modern planning conditions reflect this.
“For those who have semi or fully retired, their use of a caravan or lodge may extend over the whole season even though their main residence is elsewhere in the country.”
An application previously attempted the same condition removal, with the planning authority rejecting it in 2018 on the grounds to ensure the pitches are not permanently occupied.
One nearby resident objected to the current application, saying: “The condition has never been adhered to or enforced when it has been flouted.
“On numerous occasions we have had county court enforcement officers attend our property looking for people that are resident on the caravan site, the names of the recipients differ each time.”
The applicant believes existing conditions already prevent the permanent usage of the site, such as keeping a register of occupiers for each calendar year which can be inspected by the local planning authority.
Kirklington Parish Council also objected to application.