Countryside caravan park near Scarborough gets permission for 50 new pitches despite objections

Ian Palmer’s application for the expansion and reorganisation of the Lebberston Touring Park has been approved by members of the Scarborough and Whitby area planning committee.

The number of caravan pitches will be increased from 125 to 175 and the caravan storage area will be changed to accommodate 12 fixed pitches with other changes also approved.

Speaking at the meeting on behalf of the applicant, Gemma Edwardson said: “[It] is an established caravan park and has been recently acquired by our clients, the Palmer family.”

“We acknowledge the parish council objection, however, there is also local support for the proposal, particularly due to job creation and support for other local businesses,” she added.

The parish council objected to the plan citing “overdevelopment, flooding and highway safety” but the Highway Authority did not raise any objections.

Coun Roberta Swiers raised concerns about speed limits on nearby roads and a lack of safe footpaths to access local facilities.

She said: “Yes, they will come and go in their cars but they’ll also want to walk because in Lebberston there are no facilities whatsoever; no pubs, no shops, nothing.

“They are going to walk to Gristhorpe but there’s no safe path anywhere, you’re straight onto a 60mph limit and that would be my concern.”

Councillors resolved to contact the Highway Authority to request appropriate signage in the area.

No new buildings were proposed and the new roads and individual pitch parking will be constructed of tarmac whilst the new touring caravan pitches are set to be built of crushed stone and gravel.

Planning officers said that the increase of approximately 11 per cent in the area of the site “is considered not to be significant enough to cause a detrimental impact on its countryside location”.

The proposal was unanimously approved by the members of the planning committee.