LOCAL MP Kevin Hollinrake has praised an award-winning holiday park in the heart of the North York Moors national park.

The Thirsk and Malton MP commended Wayside Lakes, which was shortlisted for the York Press family business of the year 2018, for its “tremendous contribution to tourism” in the region.

Mr Hollinrake, who visited the state-of-the-art ten-acre, £500,000 development at Wrelton, near Pickering, during English Tourism Week last week, said: “Tourism is one of Yorkshire’s most important industries and it is developments like Wayside which stimulate the sector.

“The knock-on effect of a successful holiday park like Wayside, in terms of jobs and investment in Ryedale, is very significant. It is an inspirational park and it has been a privilege to come here.”

Wayside Lakes, and the adjacent Wayside holiday park for static caravans, is owned by Mark Goodson, who was an IT manager in Hull for 25 years before joining his father in the family business in 2011.

He was specially commended by Mr Hollinrake for his vision and commitment and was delighted the MP had found time to visit “during a challenging time in parliament.”

Mr Hollinrake also presented park manager and Mr Goodson’s co-director Trevor Jones, who has worked on the park for almost three decades, with a long-service certificate.

Mr Goodson said: “Trevor has worked here for 27 years, first for my father, Roger, and now with me.

“His hard work, enthusiasm, good humour and commitment to Wayside is exemplary. He is someone who always brings me solutions, not problems.”

The five-star development, centred around two picturesque lakes, caters for up to 38 exclusive lodges.

Already 16 lodges have been bought and are occupied on site, with strong interest coming in for others from across the north of England.

Mr Goodson is hoping this year will prove even more successful than last year: “2018 was a strong year for us.

“We sold four lodges, together with three static caravans, worth a total of nearly £400,000.

“This was despite the uncertainty of Brexit, the awful weather at the beginning of the season and the football World Cup, when everything stopped.

“This year, Brexit may

well encourage our key demographic, the grey pound, to holiday in the UK and there is no World cup.”

For more information see waysidelakes.co.uk and waysideholidaypark.co.uk