Controversial plans to expand holiday park near Northampton REJECTED by council after more than 100 objections

Overstone Park, near Northampton, is already a popular site for holiday-makers with its numerous lodges and extensive grounds complimented by a large 18-hole golf course.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) have now thrown out an application, which would have given the resort owners permission to build another 77 new holiday units on its grounds. This would encompass 31 lodges and 46 twin-unit lodges, as well as extra parking and landscaping.

The applicant, Overstone Park Resort, wrote that with an increase in value from the new lodges they would be able to provide fully a revitalised restaurant, updates and equipment for the gym and studio, a refurbished swimming pool with luxury sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, modernised leisure and golf changing rooms and a brand new tennis court.

Despite a recommendation from the council to grant permission, 141 individual objections to the application were submitted raising concerns about the visual harm on the area, degrading the golf course and “sub-standard” vehicle access onto the site off of a blind bend.

Many objections centred around the new ‘twin-unit lodges’ and concern that their introduction could transform the resort into a “caravan park”.

Speaking on behalf of the Overstone Park Lodge Owners Association, one man said: “We vehemently reject this application. It’s an overdevelopment of 76 additional properties, which is a 62 percent increase on the current availability.

“The twin units would be narrow, oblong and single story and comprise very shallow pitch roofs in conflict to the design of the existing lodges. They will not be visually attractive, sympathetic to local character nor will they establish or maintain a strong sense of place.

“We are not against further development of the site, we are not against further lodges being built on the site. We are against the caravan style particularly and just the scale and the sheer number.”

Councillor Mike Warren, ward member for Moulton, also attended to object to the plans alleging that it was “purely for the applicant’s financial gain” and that there was no evidence it would contribute to the local economy or the site’s primary use as a golf course.

Joney Ramirez, associate director of planning at RPS, said on behalf of the applicant: “The business has been in decline for the past 20 years to the point where today it is in need of significant investment.

“The resort’s mission is to relaunch under new branding and create a high-quality tourist attraction by improving the current leisure offering and creating a thriving sustainable business.

“Without the investment resulting from the proposal the business and the site will continue to decline, leading to the potential closure of this valuable resort and loss of jobs.”

She told the planning committee that consultation with lodge-owners and nearby residents already led to a reduction in the proposed units from 105 to the revised 77. She also backed up their plans for the contentious twin-units, saying they would be ‘luxury lodges’ and would offer a mix of holiday homes on the site.

If approved, the development would have reportedly created an additional 24 full-time jobs.

Speaking at the planning meeting, Councillor Sally Beardsworth said: “To me, it’s too big an extension.

“We also have another holiday park in the area with caravans on it, which is expanding as we hear, so do we need caravans on this one? Why not keep it as a site that looks uniformed and attractive rather than put caravans on there that people just probably won’t want to go in?

“I would be happy to see the existing properties that are there copied so there is some continuity. I don’t think the smaller units, the caravans, are actually adding to it.”

Ultimately, members decided to reject the application on Wednesday (September 4) as a result of the perceived overdevelopment of Overstone Park and the inappropriate addition of the twin-unit lodges.