A HOLIDAY park's bid to extend its holiday season in an effort to benefit from the staycation market after the Covid pandemic has been refused.

Park Holidays UK, who operates Steeple Bay Holiday Park, submitted an application to Maldon District Council to allow occupation of holiday caravans between March 1 and February 14 inclusive.

The applicant currently has permission - granted in 2018 - for seasonal occupancy between March 1 and November 30 inclusive.

A similar application submitted to extend the holiday park's season was refused in March 2020 as the decision notice stated it would have "potential significant impact upon the nature conservation designations and protected species".

The applicant said further survey work had been undertaken over the past year to provide additional information on the impact of its proposal on the conservation areas and protected species.

Read more: Holiday park in bid to extend its holiday season

The planning statement said the long-established holiday park would "benefit from the extension of its holiday season, particularly in the light of the resurgence in the staycation market resulting from the Covid pandemic."

The park is "unable to trade in common with others within the region" due to its limited seasonal period.

Park Holidays UK said the extension would "provide benefit to the local tourism economy" and added it would not impact nature conservation interest.

Despite further survey work the proposed extended occupancy period of the caravan site was refused as the council said it "has a potential significant impact upon the nature conservation designations and protected species".

It also said the applicant had submitted "insufficient information" to allow the authority to complete a Habitats Regulation Assessment to demonstrate the proposal would not have "significant impact or the significant impact is such that it can be mitigated or compensated in a satisfactory way".

It therefore deemed the development "unacceptable".

Steeple Bay Holiday Park is situated on the southern edge of the Blackwater Estuary at the end of Canney Road.