Plans to extend the operating season of a caravan park in Clarach to cover the winter months have been given the go-ahead by council planners.

Cardigan Bay Holiday Parks Ltd, the owners and operators of Ocean View Holiday Park, applied to Ceredigion County Council to extend its operating season, “as a result of demand for touring and static holiday pitches during the winter months,” planning documents said.

The caravan park – which has been operational as a caravan site since the early 1960's and now

provides 60 static caravans, 37 touring caravans and 2 static utilised by site managers – applied to extend its operating season from the current eight months from 1 March to 31 October up to 10.5 months from 1 March to 14 January.

The new dates will apply to all static and touring pitches.

A pre-planning consultation received seven responses, with caravan owners behind the scheme, and the consultation hearing that a 10.5 month season was already in operation in nearby caravan sites.

The plans were also supported by Tirmynach Community Council.

The application received no objections.

A planning report said: “Historically, development plan policies sought to restrict the opening times of caravan sites such as the site in question.

“The aim of these policies (and the associated occupancy planning conditions which were applied to consents) was to ensure that the caravans were not occupied as permanent residential units.

“This type of occupancy condition was an effective and fairly simple way of monitoring and enforcing the permitted holiday use.

“The Local Planning Authority acknowledges now however that the trends, demands and expectations of tourists have changed, meaning that shorter breaks during winter months have become more desirable.”

Ceredigion County Council planning officers approved the plans subject to conditions under delegated powers this week.