Residents Clash Over Controversial Caravan Park That ‘Shines Like Blackpool’ and Spoils Their Hot Tub Experience!

FURIOUS residents have accused an “eyesore” holiday park of ruining their privacy and wiping £100,000 off the value of their homes.

Locals living in Luney Barton near St Austell, Cornwall, have moaned they are now living in the shadow of dozens of static caravans.

The caravan park overlooks the tiny hamlet on Luney BartonCredit: Neil Hope Homeowners have complained that the caravans have been placed on the wrong part of the 56-acre site and not where was originally agreedCredit: Neil Hope Residents have been locked in a battle with Cornwall Council for the last three yearsCredit: Neil Hope Residents of the village have said they feel like they now have no privacyCredit: Neil Hope

They no longer feel comfortable spending evenings in the garden and even close the curtains when indoors because they feel so overlooked.

Residents have been locked in a battle with Cornwall Council for the last three years after the site was significantly expanded.

The expansion saw new static caravans and infrastructure including roads and new concrete bases built for holidaymakers.

Homeowners claim the caravans have been placed in a different part of the site to the initial agreement in a historic application.

But planning officials have insisted the new development does not “breach planning control”.

Lorraine Harvey, 69, told The Sun: “When the work was going on one of our neighbours had a valuation of just over £1million.

“Then when she took the valuer out into the field he said ‘oh my god, if that gets any larger I’d knock £100,000 off the price’.

“Another house has only just sold after a long time… when a house goes on the market a drone goes up and captures that and it puts people off.

“Ours was on the market and the agent showed people around who got to the gate, saw the caravans and weren’t even interested in looking.

“Some of them have hot tubs and people are out there from early morning to late at night.

“I draw the curtains so I don’t have to see it, you shouldn’t have to draw the curtains in the summer.

“They keep saying they are working to the original plans but that is for a touring field for caravans and tents.

“We want them to remove the static caravans.”

Meadow Lakes Holiday Park has operated since 1979 as a camp site for tents and touring caravans.

Residents no longer feel comfortable spending evenings in the gardenCredit: Neil Hope Bruce Bryan (pictured with Jane Collings) compared the site to the ‘Blackpool Illuminations’Credit: Neil Hope Jane slammed the site as an ‘eyesore’Credit: Neil Hope

But in January 2023, workmen rolled in with diggers, pulled up ancient hedgerows and cut down trees to make way for the luxury chalets.

When the work was going on Mrs Harvey went to speak to the operations manager who kept insisting they were working to “old plans”.

But she argues those plans were for 70 lodges on the north of the 56-acre site – much further away from their homes.

She contacted planning enforcement seven times in two months but said her pleas were ignored.

Bruce Bryan, 61, who has lived in Luney Barton for 32 years, compared the 60-caravan site to the “Blackpool Illuminations”.

He said: “The holiday park advertises online that they have this amazing site with a beautiful countryside view and all that rubbish.

“But that’s because they’re looking at my bloody house.

“What if we were to turn around and put 40 caravans in our field, they would be the first to go absolutely mental.

“It’s farcical, you can’t have one rule for them and another for everybody else.

“I am definitely using my garden less, I don’t use my hot tub any more, I don’t go out on my patio or have a barbecue.

“At night it’s all lit up like Blackpool illuminations.”

The park boasts amenities amenities such as four fishing lakes, a heated outdoor swimming pool and multiple play areas.

On its website, it is described as being “set within the beautiful Cornish countryside, with peaceful lakes that provide the perfect spot to relax”.

But Jane Collings, 56, slammed the site as an “eyesore” and accused it of negatively impacting house prices in the area.

And Jeff Harvey, 71, added: “It’s a huge blot on the landscape with no planning at all.

“We’re not against tourism but the whole principal of this is wrong.”

Meadow Lakes was purchased by Acorn Parks Ltd in 2009.

Addressing planning concerns, Rachel Nation, managing director of Acorn Parks, said the firm had “fully engaged” with the local authority.

She said: “Regarding the development in question and the concerns raised we have fully engaged with Cornwall Council providing all information that they requested from us over a period of over two years.

“We have also engaged with Grampound with Creed Parish Council and held a meeting at Meadow Lakes with some councillors from this parish council and also St Ewe Parish Council chairman and other councillors.

“I have also held a meeting with Lorraine and Jeff Harvey at Meadow Lakes and explained details about the development.

“I don’t have any specific knowledge of a plan shown to Lorraine Harvey by an ex-member of staff over three years ago, but Meadow Lakes has a long and detailed planning history.”

A Cornwall Council spokesman said: “Extensive investigations have been carried out relating to this site.

“These have concluded that the siting of the caravans in their current location do not amount to breach of planning control.”

Rachel Nation, managing director of Acorn Parks, claimed the firm had ‘fully engaged’ with the local authorityCredit: Neil Hope Meadow Lakes has operated since 1979 as a camp site for tents and touring caravansCredit: Neil Hope