Crime and anti-social behaviour among reasons for Lancashire caravan park's proposed changes

The Royal Umpire Caravan Park, Southport Road, between Croston and Ulnes Walton, has seen its occupancy rates drop in recent years.

To save the long term future of the business, it is planning to reconfigure the park and replace 201 touring caravan pitches on part of the site with 114. static caravans.

The park - operated by the Harrison Leisure UK Ltd. family business, who been at the site for around 35 years - has submitted its plans to Chorley Council.

The council has been told in a planning statement supporting the application that the reduction in occupancy is, thought to be attributed to crime and anti-social behaviour associated with users of the touring pitches - together with a decline in demand for touring caravan holidays in favour of more luxury static caravan holidays.

A similar planning application from Royal Umpire was refused in March,

That application proposed changing the site from touring pitches to static pitches, together with additional static pitches within the adjacent tented camping area, landscaping, roadways and other associated works.

However, the new application involves 'a significant reduction in the amount of development', with the adjacent camping area proposals removed.

No new buildings are proposed and the plans include removing the existing toilet block.

The proposed static caravans would be arranged in a similar fashion to the existing pitches, in rows aligned around the existing access internal access roads, and along the eastern and western boundaries of the site.

Existing hedgerows between the current pitches would be retained, as would existing boundary screening.

Each pitch would accommodate one static caravan and space to park one vehicle.

A terrace to the front and side and garden area to the side would also be provided.

The planning statement adds: "The proposed development would also result in economic benefits in the short-term, associated with the construction period of the proposals.

"Direct employment opportunities would be created for those working on the site itself, who in turn would likely increase spending at other local businesses, bringing more money to the area and helping to sustain further employment opportunities.

"At a time when economic development is so important, the applicants are prepared to invest heavily in the future of their business, bringing benefits not only to the park itself, but ultimately the wider Chorley area."