A YORK-headquartered holiday park operator has expanded its portfolio to 12 sites after acquiring an East Riding golf course.

Following the deal Park Leisure will not only redevelop Allerthorpe Park Golf Course but will create a five-star holiday park on the site with 150 holiday homes.

The move from the Poppleton-based business will see the creation of more than 30 full time jobs for the region and is already attracting significant interest, with all 150 holiday homes anticipated to sell quickly, ahead of the park’s reopening in spring 2018.

Founded in 1998, the acquisition is the latest in a string of developments for Park Leisure which currently operates 11 parks across England and Wales and employs a team of 350 staff. It will be the company’s fourth park in Yorkshire, joining Littondale, Chantry and Yorkshire Dales.

Miles Dewhurst, chief executive and co-founder of Park Leisure, said: “Home to our headquarters and three of our existing parks, Yorkshire is incredibly important to us as a business, and we’re pleased to extend our holiday home offering within the region.

“Allerthorpe is ideally situated in an idyllic rural setting within easy reach of York, and provides us with a fantastic opportunity to contribute to Yorkshire’s growing popularity as one of the most desirable holiday locations in the UK.”

The news is the latest in a string of developments for Park Leisure which earlier this year secured a £103 million investment deal with Midlothian Capital Partners, which took an 80 per cent holding in the £55 million turnover firm.

Last year Park Leisure completed the £11.5 million acquisition of Brynteg Holiday Home Park in Wales.