Suffolk councillor slams Britannia Hotel holiday park plans

Councillor Julia Ewart is concerned the area could be sleepwalking into major and permanent expansion if two substantial planning applications to house Sizewell C workers are not carefully considered.

One of the applications causing concern is from Britannia Jinky Jersey Ltd, which proposes 340 touring caravan pitches in Pakefield.

The site would initially house Sizewell C workers before converting into a leisure destination. It would also be served by up to 25 buses.

Cllr Julia Ewart at Cakes & Ale Leiston that may be used to accommodate workers from Sizewell (Image: Lucy Taylor)

In Leiston, the hotel chain seeks to reconfigure the Cakes and Ale holiday park by adding 108 new lodges and providing temporary accommodation for around 670 construction workers.

Cllr Ewart said the creation of temporary worker accommodation being used alongside major expansion proposals "could leave a very substantial permanent legacy".

Cllr Ewart said: "I do not want to see East Suffolk turn into a colossal caravan park simply because individual applications are considered one at a time.

Cllr Julia Ewart at Cakes & Ale Leiston that may be used to accommodate workers from Sizewell (Image: Lucy Taylor)

"I completely understand the need to accommodate the temporary workforce associated with Sizewell C. That is not the argument I am making.

"My overriding question is therefore very straightforward: when the Sizewell workers have gone, what exactly are we left with?"

Cllr Ewart additionally questioned the reputation of the chain with Britannia having been ranked the UK’s worst hotel chain for 12 consecutive years by Which?

Cllr Ewart said: "I am also concerned that any of these applications could, in effect, become Trojan horse applications – where a relatively specific initial proposal is approved to meet a temporary need but is then followed over time by incremental amendments, variations or extensions which gradually create something much larger and more permanent than councillors originally considered."

She called for the planning authority to consider the cumulative impact of these applications and not treat each one in isolation for fear it could "permanently change" the planning character of the district.

A Sizewell C spokesman said it had a "clear and balanced accommodation strategy" designed to minimise pressure on local housing both now and as the project reaches peak construction.

Concerns have been raised that temporary accommodation for Sizewell workers could turn east Suffolk into a colossal caravan park (Image: Harrison Leisure Group)

He said: “We have also invested significantly in Pakefield Village, transforming chalets into high-quality accommodation for our workforce. Alongside our dedicated bus service to site, this provides workers with a comfortable place to stay while helping to remove hundreds of cars from local roads.

"When the power station is complete and we no longer require Pakefield Village, the site will remain in good condition, providing a lasting legacy for the community.

“The Cakes and Ale Holiday Park does not form part of our accommodation strategy, and we have little control over the decisions made by private landowners.

“As the Sizewell C project develops, we will continually review our accommodation requirements to ensure they meet the needs of both the project and the local community."

Britannia Hotels have been approached for comment.