Expanding caravan sites to link villages in East Lindsey
In what is being called a caravan conurbation, expanding coastal sites in East Lindsey could result in three villages merging. Chapel St Leonards, Ingoldmells and Addlethorpe have grown exponentially since caravan sites in the area have started thriving, and this has divided council members and residents alike.
The planning policy committee is set to meet on 6 November to discuss the potential benefits and risks of the three villages becoming linked, but legal complications take this debate to the next level. Coastal Policy dictates that caravans be within walking distance of existing settlements while not having an adverse impact on the environment. What’s more, East Lindsey planners fear that local villages could lose their identity if caravanning is further encouraged in the area.
John Kemp, resident and restaurant owner from Addlethorpe, told the East Lindsey Target that caravanning would only bring benefits, commenting: “”I think they should encourage it. If they constrict tourism in the area that’s not good for us.” He added: “Skegness and the area around would be nothing without tourism, they should be supporting it not restricting it.”
However, not everyone agrees with John’s view. An East Lindsey Council report states: “While the council does support economic growth and the growth of the tourism industry along the coast, it does also have to be balanced against the protection of our places within the district.”
Could these villages lose their historic identities, or will their being linked encourage caravanning and prove beneficial? What do you think?
