Caravan sites ‘huge drain’ on resources

Coney Garth LLP is seeking planning permission to install 92 static caravans in a former gravel pit on the edge of the village of Brandesburton.

They already have permission for 46 holiday homes, but local councillors say the latest proposal, due to be decided at a meeting at County Hall, Beverley, will heap more problems onto the village.

Residents say there has been an explosion in numbers coming to local parks in the last decade, with visitors outstripping the population of the village (1,600).

Parish council chairman Jackie Gombault said: “The unanimous view of the parish council is that the cumulative effect of all the extra planning applications for caravan sites is becoming intolerable and unsustainable and there are serious worries not just from the parish council, but also the residents. We get a lot of people from West Yorkshire who tend to spend extended stays and it is actually a known fact that they bring with them some pretty severe health problems, which is a drain on our health services. Noise is an issue late at night - last year there was an incident of rowdy behaviour at one campsite where police had to be called.”

Mrs Gombault said congestion was so bad that the bus operator had threatened on several occasions to stop buses going through the village. In a report the applicants claim tourism makes a “vital” contribution to the local economy. Planners recommend approval at Monday’s meeting saying the site is well-screened and accessible from the bypass, but also within walking distance of shops, a takeaway and pubs. They state: “The economic benefits are...considered to outweigh any perceived adverse impact on the village.”