Horam holiday park plans set to return to committee for a third time

On Thursday (November 4), Wealden District Council’s planning committee south will again consider an application, which has been deferred twice before, connected to the Horam Manor Touring Park, off of Horam Road.

The holiday park is seeking permission to vary its existing planning conditions, allowing it to open all year round and introduce static caravans, but also reduce the total number of caravans it could have on site from 110 to 86.

The application was last before the committee in September. While councillors did not raise any significant objections to the overall aims of the application, many were apprehensive around some of the details.

These included: the mix of static and touring caravans; the steps the applicant would take to monitor the length of stay; and details of what impact the proposals would have on the local sewerage system. 

Since then, however, officers say the applicant has provided more details on these areas of concern. This includes more comprehensive information about its guest register and a commitment to install a new pumping system, which would reduce pressure on the sewerage network.

The applicant also offered to amend another condition, which would limit the number of static caravans on site to 36. Previously the condition had been written the other way around, limiting touring caravans to no more than 50. 

As with the previous hearing, officers are recommending that the application be approved.

In a report to the committee, a council officer said: “The proposal for the holiday park to open year round would result in benefits to the local rural economy and would bring the park in line with opening times of other holiday parks in the area. 

“The use as a holiday park, rather than a place of permanent residence would be appropriately controlled by planning condition. 

“In balancing the wording of saved policy TM4 (which restricts static homes due to landscape harm), against the wording of the National Planning Policy Framework, (which seeks a positive approach to supporting the rural economy where no landscape harm arises), this proposed development should not be resisted. 

“This is because the development would support the rural economy and would not result in an adverse landscape impact.”

For further information on the application see reference WD/2019/2710/FA on the Wealden District Council website.