A major Isle of Wight campsite could be about to ‘upgrade’ its facilities.
Natalie Rowland of the Caravan and Motorhome Club has lodged a planning application with County Hall to upgrade 12 grass pitches to all-weather pitches at its Southland Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite site off Winford Road, south of Newchurch.
All-weather pitches constructed using permeable, locally sourced loose stone
Writing to the Isle of Wight council, the over 100-year-old organisation said,
“The site is an existing touring caravan site which plays an important role in delivering tourist accommodation on the Island.
“The proposal involves a change in the type of pitches being offered, with the need for this having arisen from member feedback and the club’s desire to provide a continued high-quality offering.
“The all-weather pitches would be constructed using permeable, locally sourced loose stone to provide adequate catchment and attenuation to control runoff.
“This ensures that any runoff does not exceed the ground’s permeability characteristics. The stone chippings match the existing pitches elsewhere on site and will result in a sympathetic appearance.”
Loss of modified grassland
The club said a Biodiversity Net Gain document submitted as part of its application confirmed the proposal ‘would result in the loss of 0.106 hectares of modified grassland’.
As a mitigation, the document proposed ‘the enhancement of 0.02 hectares of grassland and the planting of 13 native trees’.
View the plans
You can view the plans on the council’s planning register (25/00122/FUL).
The public consultation runs until 14th March and a decision should be made by 3rd April 2025.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
