PLANS have been submitted to extend a touring and holiday home near Ludlow. 

Morris Leisure want to have 61 more static caravans on its site in Overton Road, off the B4361, which includes associated developement. 

A planning statement reads: "Since Ludlow Touring Park opened it has helped sustain Ludlow town centre.

"Park guests currently spend in excess of £1.7m (£1,712,500) direct tourism spend into the local economy on an annual basis (based on a contribution of £12,500 per individual pitch).

"The park continues to enjoy support from the local business community who have confirmed to us that they welcome the extension the subject of this application. Increasing the capacity of the park will be beneficial to local businesses and will result in an increase in the direct tourism spend by £762,500 on an annual basis.

"This increases the direct tourism spend to £2,475,000 annually into the local economy."

The statement adds there is onsite open space provision, including a children's play area which is essential to the detail design and layout of the existing and extended park.

"These areas make provision for recreational activities which can assist in the promotion of active and healthy lifestyles," it says.

There will also be a new access route from the existing highway access, internal access routes, and pitches for lodges and static caravans.

The access route, the documents say, is located in an area of maintained grass cover which currently contains areas of young tree planting which surround a pedestrian access route into the site.

In total, Shropshire County Council has received 75 comments, 73 of which are in favour of the proposal. 

However, Richards Castle Parish Council says it objects on the grounds of visual impact and overdevelopment.

"The proposed increase in the number of pitches will increase the size of the holiday home park by 50 percent, from 115 to 176 'pitches'," it said.

"According to the planning application drawing, the additional 61 sites proposed are all for static caravans rather than touring pitches. The parish council considers that this will be too many static sites which have a greater visual impact by being permanently in place."