18/10/11 Lincolnshire caravan park to get revamp

Lincolnshire caravan park to get revamp in bid to attract visitors

short ferry

BIG MOVE: The owners Short Ferry Caravan Park at Fiskerton have put in a planning application to improve the site in a bid to beat the recession.

HOLIDAY park bosses are hoping to upgrade and renovate their site to stop it becoming “a statistic” of the recession.

Declining visitor numbers have prompted Short Ferry Caravan Park, near Fiskerton, to apply to renovate its swimming pool, holiday accommodation, provide facilities for disabled guests and carry out landscaping works.

Planning documents on behalf of the business state people are choosing “better facilities” that are promoting better holiday offers compared to Short Ferry.

But Rob Hardman, partner in the business, said the aim was to make the whole site “much nicer”.

He said: “We need to change things. The facilities have been upgraded over the years but it’s time to have a big go at it.

“We want to really make the place special. If we don’t we could see ourselves being a statistic.”

Mr Hardman has been at the caravan park, initially bought by his parents, for 30 years.

He said it was too soon to assess how much money was required for the improvements, but it would be a “major investment” and would create jobs in the area.

The proposal is the second of three phases aiming to improve the caravan park’s fortunes. The final change, which requires permission, involves making improvements to the Tyrwhitt Arms pub.

But planning documents add: “Increasing the facilities for angling will not be sufficient for the holiday park or public house to survive.

“The applicants believe their site should also be of good quality and act as a centre for visitors to enjoy the park in its own right and access attractions in the area.

“A re-launch of the site will encourage this.”

A public consultation by West Lindsey District Council is under way.