Updated plans for a holiday park and retirement village off Robinson Road, Brightlingsea have been made public.
If approved by Tendring District Council (TDC), the 81-acre Lower Farm site would feature 104 holiday lodges, retirement bungalows, five detached houses, and glamping facilities grouped around existing and new lakes.
Corby-based private equity business Artemis Capital Partners is behind the new proposals, which were revealed in part to the public at an exhibition in the Parish Hall in July.
Plans for the former quarry site were originally approved by the council three years ago, despite concerns about increased traffic and the affect on wildlife and the natural environment.
A proposed retirement lodge
Essex Wildlife Trust objected to the original scheme, saying the site was particularly important for migrating birds, but planning committee members were told that Natural England and Essex County Council ecology teams were satisfied that “with mitigation” the scheme would not be harmful.
Revisions to the original plans include scrapping the proposal for 36 retirement apartments and replacing them with two and three-bedroomed bungalows, placed further away from the holiday accommodation.
The reception building would be moved to a more central location and would include a spa and pool. Holiday lodges have been redesigned with larger windows and roof terraces.
Holiday lodges could look like this
In a pre-application response n January to Artemis’ architects and planning agents, TDC senior planning officer Matthew Lang said: “Overall, the design approach is considered to represent a significant enhancement over the approved scheme that would promote a more consistent development that assimilates more sympathetically into the rural and open character of the site.”
The application – which at the time of writing comprises 272 documents – can be seen on TDC’s planning portal – which is also the place where comments for or against can be submitted. Currently there’s no date given for when the application will be discussed by the council’s planning committee.
However, Brightlingsea Town Council’s planning committee will discuss the plans at 7pm on September 28 in a meeting that’s open to the public. The town council can only comment or make recommendations to TDC on applications and has no powers to approve or deny planning permission.
