More static holiday caravans planned for wildlife-rich Anglesey wooded site

An Anglesey holiday park will have 144 static caravans on site if expansion plans are approved.
An application has been lodged to make changes at Rynys Caravan Park off the A5025 in Rhoslligwy.
The application, made to Anglesey Council by Rosehill Sites and Sales Ltd, aims to increase the number of static holiday caravans from 85 to 114.
It would see a “minor extension” to the approved boundary, covering 23.2 acres compared with the current 14.96 acres in use.
The plans for the caravan park, which is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, also include “environmental improvements”.
The development plan proposes a “higher quality, lower density” site.
The site was originally developed to a density of 10 caravans to the acre, with the new scheme seeing six units to the acre.
The site is bounded by woodland, and contains a large area of heathland to the south west, with the Afon Lligwy brook intersecting the site.
The park is described as “an established holiday park, featuring a number of lodges located within woodland clearings”.
The proposals relate to two extension areas to the north east and south east.
A report describes how the layout has been designed to “remove the approved caravan development from the heathland and ensure maximum protection of the heathland habitat.
Following ecological advice, the proposal has been designed to minimise impacts to important habitats present on site.
“The nature of the surrounding woodland indicated that red squirrel were likely to be present, although none were recorded on any site visit.”
Other mammals found during survey included field vole, water shrew and hedgehog, as well as reptiles and common amphibians such as toads. Plants, invertebrate and bats were also in the area.
A summary of action to limit the impact on priority habitat areas included fencing and a relocation programme for reptiles.
Rynys Caravan Park is described as “a popular and well established holiday caravan park” 3km south of Dulas.
Following the acquisition of Rynys Caravan Park in 2020 the applicant and owner had undertaken “significant investment and improvements to the old park layout and its dated infrastructure”.
Older caravan pitches have been replaced and redeveloped to accommodate “very high quality lodge style caravans” with continued “park wide improvements to internal site roads, car parking, site facilities and services”.
The site included a fully renovated central reception and clubhouse, modern central leisure building, site reception, offices, restaurant/bar, lounge and gym.
The park dates to the 1950s when temporary permissions were issued, with more permanent permissions issued in the 1960s, the plans say.
Lodges and single pitches would be clad in grey timber-effect cladding with dark grey roofing.
Although in an AONB, due to “undulating topography and woodland planting” the plans claim, “views towards the site are mostly screened”.
Preliminary ecological investigations concluded the development involved impact to “a sensitive habitat,” which had “significantly degraded overtime”.
Further surveys, including regarding bats and reptiles, “were recommended”.
An area of priority habitat would be protected, with a five-year management plan, and there would be protection of a sandstone platform, a potential reptile habitat, with a wooden barrier, creation of heath and woodland, tree planting schedule and off-site mitigation planting.
There would also be a “strategy to protect bat flight lines” and development audit by an appointed ecologist. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​