The multi-million expansion of a south Pembrokeshire holiday park that will create dozens of new jobs and provide a welcome boost for regional tourism and leisure has been given the green light by Pembrokeshire County Council.

The proposed development at the Heritage Park, Stepaside, will be delivered by Heritage Leisure Development (Wales) Ltd. It will result in the provision of 48 new, high-quality holiday lodges, along with an equestrian centre, five-star leisure spa, café, and cycle hire facility.

The £6 million project will expand the local tourism offer while also breathing new life into a former pub, craft village and animal farm that have been abandoned and vacant for a number of years.

Heritage Park sits within a popular tourism location, attracting high levels visitors due to its close proximity to the seaside resort of Tenby as well as other local attractions and towns, including Saundersfoot.

According to the Welsh Government, Pembrokeshire is ranked as the fifth overall most visited local authority in Wales, with millions of people coming to the region from within the UK and overseas annually. The proposed development will provide a significant boost to the local economy in this area.

An economic impact assessment estimates that people staying at the site are expected to spend significantly within the area, and together with Park spending, there will be an extra nearly £1 million additional expenditure in the local economy each year.

Jobs will also be created during construction phase of the development, which is now expected to start next year. These will be in addition to a number of full-time and part-time jobs that will be created once the park and the other the associated leisure facilities fully open for business.

Working on behalf of the owner and operator, Helen Ashby-Ridgway, planning director at the Cardiff office of planning and development consultancy Lichfields, said Heritage Park is well-deserving of its 5* Visit Wales award.

She said:

“Our comprehensive approach to planning with carefully constructed arguments, has helped to secure success for this project. There have been some tricky issues and tough challenges to overcome, but we now very look forward to supporting the operator’s plans for the future and see his vision for the site become a reality.”

Karl Watson, owner of Heritage Leisure Development, added:

“We’re clearly delighted to have secured approval, which marks the next phase in ambitious proposals to provide top quality hospitality and leisure facilities in south Pembrokeshire for holiday-makers and visitors. This project will also breathe new life into a location that’s ready to be transformed, signalling a new chapter for the local area and creating opportunities and jobs for local people.”