‘Would you tell friends to go on holiday in Swannington?’
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a lakeside caravan complex have been approved despite opposition from hundreds of residents.
The proposals, put forward by Finney’s Park Homes, will see 52 timber lodge static caravans built on land off Spring Lane in Swannington, near Coalville, following the green light from planning officials at North West Leicestershire District Council this week.
Set to also feature a bar, restaurant, shop and office, the 58-acre site will aim to become a key tourist destination for the area, but the idea of Swannington taking on that mantle was fiercely debated.
Councillor Roger Cairns, of Swannington Parish Council, believed tourism was not a viable reason to give approval.
“Would any one of you seriously tell one of your friends to go on holiday to Spring Lane, Swannington, in a caravan?” he asked the planning committee.
“If you ask yourself this honestly, then you know the answer.”
Hundreds of affected Swannington villagers and neighbouring Whitwick residents also criticised the plan for its encroachment on the two communities, while others voiced concerns about light pollution, the effects of climate change and traffic management issues in the area.
Despite this, a majority of councillors voted in favour of the scheme, believing the proposal boasted many benefits.
Among them was revenue, with the site expected to bring in around £300,000 a year to the area’s economy.
The creation of up to 20 jobs on completion of the site was also seen as a key strength to the plan, one which Finney’s said was a crucial to its application.
David Hancock, agent for Finney’s, said: “The site will bring a high level of tourism to the North West Leicestershire area but, as well as that, we will create between 15 to 20 jobs upon creation, which will help Leicestershire start to fight back from growing unemployment numbers which have risen since the pandemic.”
Mr Hancock added that Finney’s, who also run a site at nearby Sinope, had worked tirelessly with the planning authorities since first submitting the Swannington application, downsizing from the originally proposed 208 units on site to just 52 after initial concerns had been raised.
He vowed that the developers would work with the community to
ensure they, alongside potential tourists, would get the most out of the holiday park.
“We have a proven track record of providing high-quality holiday lodges and we know that the community expects that from us here. We will deliver that,” he added.
CARAVAN PARK TO GO AHEAD DESPITE MANY OBJECTIONS