An Isle of Wight caravan park will be allowed to extend after all — nearly two years after it was first denied.
It comes as a government watchdog overturned the Isle of Wight council’s decision to refuse permission to Sunnycott Caravan Park.
Owner, Lynn Wildey, was looking to add five new caravans to the park in Gurnard, on a currently grassed area, but was denied the extension from 21 to 26 units in 2022.
Previously rejected
The Isle of Wight council refused the application a couple of months after submission saying it would have an adverse impact on neighbours along Rew Street and the character and appearance of the area.
Fears had been raised at the time by neighbours saying, among other things, it was an overdevelopment and it would impact negatively on wildlife.
Approved by Planning Inspectorate
However, on Mrs Wildey’s appeal of the council’s decision, the government’s Planning Inspectorate has recently agreed to the caravan park’s extension with 12 conditions.
One of the conditions is that the new holiday units cannot be used for anything other than as holiday accommodation.
Another is that if the units are no longer required they should be permanently removed from the site.
PI’s findings
Overall, the Planning Inspectorate said the scale of the proposed development would be subservient to the existing caravan park.
It says the new units are modest in size and have a simple design, looking the same as the current caravans on the site.
The inspectorate said the caravans being on site would not be prominent in the landscape or urbanise the area.
New units would be ‘virtually hidden’
Public views of the new units would ‘virtually be hidden’, it said, by both the existing greenery and the adjoining properties facing onto Rew Street.
The government body said although there is a likelihood of increased noise and disturbance from holidaymakers, it would be unlikely to create such an unacceptable level which would be harmful to the living conditions of neighbours.
The internal layout of the caravan park will be reconfigured to make way for the new units and a road loop created to allow bigger vehicles to get around the site.
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
