A "GAME CHANGING" new development has been given the go-ahead.

The owners of a holiday park near Pickering say they have been granted planning permission by Ryedale District Council to create 13 new pitches for luxury caravans and lodges in the centre of the park.

The £200,000 development means the end of seasonal touring caravans at Wayside Holiday Park.

Owner Mark Goodson said this was a “transformational move”, taking Wayside up-market and breathing new and exciting life into the popular holiday park, creating a quality environment in its heart.

“This is a crucially important development for us – and we are grateful to Ryedale District Council’s planners for giving us the green light. We are confident that the demand for our new pitches is there, given the staycation boom and the tremendous success of our up-market Lakes development at Wayside, where we have sold 36 out of 37 lodges.”

Work has now begun on the new development at Wayside and is scheduled to be completed by August, when the park opens for the new season.

Mark Goodson is looking forward to an exciting, enjoyable and productive 2022, following a challenging 20 months, as the global pandemic has disrupted the park’s supply chain and made it difficult to plan ahead with any certainty.

Despite these challenges, Wayside, which is located on a picturesque site at the village of Wrelton, between Kirkbymoorside and Pickering, has managed to flourish, thanks to the staycation boom.

Mark commented: “First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to extend the warmest of thank yous to our loyal and patient caravan and lodge owners. We are consistently amazed and humbled by the positive comments we receive from our owners on site.

“We believe that the peace, beauty and serenity here are the ideal antidote to the stresses and strains of the pandemic and we are going to ensure that Wayside is the perfect place to relax this year – and to forget about the pressure of the lockdown. It also goes without saying that the interests of our owners are uppermost in our minds and we are ensuring that Wayside is incredibly safe and Covid-free.

He said: “If you are thinking about buying the ideal holiday home next year, now is the time to look. We have a number of spare pitches on the park, which are ideal for anyone wanting to get away from it all and making a home in one of the most beautiful parts of the UK.

“For those who don’t know Wayside, it is a haven of tranquillity of beauty in the North York Moors National Park. We are within easy reach of Yorkshire’s breath-taking coastline, historic market towns, world-class heritage and mile upon mile of superb walking country.”