Selby: Plans for cabin holiday park spark flooding fears

Initial plans show that 49 holiday lodges would be connected by a new internal road at the site

Plans for a 49-cabin holiday park in North Yorkshire have sparked flooding and environmental concerns.

The site, off Bawtry Road, Selby, consisted of two lakes surrounded by trees and currently had "no defined use", council documents said.

An application, submitted to North Yorkshire Council by Miles Leslie Properties Ltd, proposed to develop the area for holiday accommodation.

However, The Environment Agency and Selby Town Council lodged objections.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, there were no plans for a shop, restaurant or clubhouse on the site, which developers said was "deliberate".

"The ethos of the proposal is to support the local economy and businesses in Selby and the surrounding area," plans said.

"The economic benefits of this proposal cannot be understated by any means."

The cabins would surround the site's main lake, causing a flooding risk, according to the Environment Agency

Developers said there was "strong evidence" the scheme would prove popular and offer tourists an alternative to hotels.

The Environment Agency said the area was a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), with the area having a "medium to high" probability of flooding.

If the council was to approve the plans without a flood risk assessment, it must refer the application to the secretary of state, the agency said.

Selby Town Council objected to the scheme on numerous grounds, including concerns that it could lead to contaminated surface water running into the SINC's lakes.

It added that this would "potentially damage the fish and plants in the pond".