Plans unveiled for £35m Fylde holiday village
Holiday park operator Pure Leisure Group has revealed proposals for a leisure village at Larbreck in Fylde, featuring nearly 500 holiday lodges, a hotel, and a golf course, backed by former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron.
Working with planner De Pol Associates and architect MCK, the operator’s proposals are for a 161-acre site between the A585 Garstang Road and the River Wyre, which is currently uncultivated land.
A planning application has now been put forward, which includes 495 holiday lodges; a 102-bedroom hotel; a leisure complex featuring a pool, spa, bar, restaurant, shop, gym, and indoor golf; a nine-hole golf course; bio-diversity habitats and around 1.2 miles of walking trails.
Access to the site is proposed via the existing Windy Harbour Road, and the developer is expecting the scheme to create around 85 permanent jobs, as well as seasonal employment opportunities.
Pure Leisure currently operates 14 sites in the UK as well as a golf resort in Barbados, and is headed up by John Morphet. Other schemes it has in the pipeline include a scheme in Carnforth including 215 holiday lodges.
An aerial overview of the site
Ahead of the planning submission, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron has signalled his support for the scheme; Pure Leisure is based in his constituency. In the letter, Farron said: “I am happy to endorse both John and Pure Leisure as a potential asset to Fylde communities. I believe that he will bring real benefits to the Fylde in the same way as he has brought benefits to South Lakeland.”
The site at Windy Harbour has a long history, having received planning permission for an 18-hole golf course, hotel, and timeshare units in 1990; this was extended, and eventually granted full planning permission in 2003. Some works were undertaken on the site, meaning this existing planning permission still stands.
Existing holiday parks at Windy Harbour and Larbreck Hall do not form part of the site and are unaffected by the development.
Managing director of planner De Pol, Alexis De Pol, said: “This is a site with a long history of hope and expectation, but so far there has been no delivery. This application will change all that and promises a really exciting future for the site.
“Pure Leisure is a long-established and successful brand, whose developments bring with them jobs and opportunities. Tourism is a £4.5bn a year economy for Lancashire in terms of visitor spend, and the impact of an investment of this scale cannot be underestimated. Not only would it revitalise this stalled eyesore of a site, it would provide a significant boost to the local economy.”
