Lakeside Park Lodge Expansion – A Sustainable Growth Case Study | Nottinghamshire
Read how we helped a touring and fishing park to diversify its accommodation and grow into a thriving, high-quality lakeside lodge development - including removal of decades-old planning restrictions.
🌿 Lakeside Park Case Study, Thorney, Notts
Delivering Sustainable Growth to create a thriving Lodge, Touring & Fishing Nature Park
Lakeside Park was always a well-established and much-loved destination offering touring caravan pitches and excellent fishing facilities. To support long-term business growth and meet rising visitor demand for high-quality accommodation, the park’s owners sought to introduce a complementary lodge development, expand the site and remove planning controls that restricted its opening times and growth.
Fytche-Taylor Planning were appointed to lead the entire process, from early concept discussions to full planning approval across multiple phases, delivering every design and technical element in-house.
Another big win for Lakeside Park!
Our Latest Planning Approval - Further investment at Lakeside Touring Caravan Park: Decades-old restrictions removed to allow year-round opening - plus new all-weather touring pitches, lodges and fishing lakes to boost rural tourism.
Understanding our Client's Vision for Growth
When the owner first approached us, Lakeside Park already had a strong reputation as a touring caravan and fishing site. The business was performing extremely well, but there was a clear opportunity to diversify and offer guests a new, premium accommodation choice: lakeside holiday lodges.
Our first step was to meet the owners on site to fully understand:
Their long-term ambitions
How lodges would complement—not compete with—the existing visitor offer
The commercial goals behind the expansion
The importance of retaining the park’s natural, tranquil setting
These early discussions shaped a development strategy based on quality, sustainability, and business resilience.
Full Site Walk-Around & Early Concept Design
To gain a complete understanding of the setting, we carried out a detailed walk-around of the entirepark. This allowed our team to assess:
Key landscape features
Visitor experience and views
Access arrangements
Drainage and existing infrastructure
Opportunities to enhance the lakeside setting
During these on-site discussions, we began sketching provisional lodge layout concepts, exploring how the development could sit comfortably alongside the touring pitches and fishing lake. These initial ideas were then developed into fully detailed plans, forming the basis for early engagement with the Local Planning Authority and Environment Agency.
Strategic Pre-Application Work
Using our early masterplanning work, we prepared a focused pre-application submission including concept layouts, a clear planning strategy, tourism and business case evidence, and initial drainage, flood risk, ecology and landscape considerations.
This proactive approach led to positive feedback from both the Local Planning Authority and the Environment Agency, giving the client confidence to progress to full planning applications.
Other Planning Applications – Two Successful Phases Approved
Phase 1 – Establishing the Lodge Area: We delivered the complete planning package, including the site masterplan, lodge layout, drainage and SuDS design, landscape proposals, planning statements and all technical coordination.
Approval enabled construction of the first lodges and infrastructure.
Phase 2 – Further Expansion: Following the strong success of Phase 1, we prepared an updated masterplan with new visitor centre, enhanced landscaping and revised drainage details, supported by a coordinated technical submission.
This second application was also approved, completing the expanded lodge development alongside the thriving touring and fishing offer.
🛠️ A Fully In-House Planning & Design Service
One of the key strengths of this project—and a major advantage for holiday park operators—is that every element of the design and planning process was carried out by Fytche-Taylor Planning, including:
Masterplanning & concept design
Full site layout drawings
Drainage & SuDS design
Planning statements
Application management
Stakeholder engagement
Technical coordination (ecology, highways, FRA, etc.)
This integrated approach meant clear communication, consistent quality, and a streamlined process for the client.
🌳 The Completed Lodge Development
With both phases now fully built, Lakeside Park has successfully expanded its accommodation offer. The lodges sit beautifully within the landscaped setting and provide a high-quality alternative to touring, attracting new visitors and boosting year-round occupancy.
Thinking of Expanding Your Holiday Park?
We specialise in helping touring, lodge and holiday park operators grow with confidence. Contact us or read more about our specialist planning services:
👉 Holiday Parks, Lodges & Park Homes
Why Holiday Park Owners Choose Fytche-Taylor Planning
Holiday park and leisure operators trust us because we offer:
✔ Expertise in lodge, caravan and tourism development
✔ End-to-end planning and design, delivered in-house
✔ Proactive engagement with the LPA and Environment Agency
✔ Commercially driven, sustainable masterplanning
✔ Proven success delivering multi-phase holiday park expansions
