Soaring staycation demand has seen the second phase of a large holiday lodge development brought forward by Lincolnshire leisure group Oak Ridge.
Bracken Lakes Lodge Park, to the north of Louth, is the part-consented £16 million proposal to develop a large swathe of land beyond the company’s first hotel venture.
Chairman Ashley Lidgard was about to begin the build-out of the first phase when lockdown hit, and now he is looking to add an additional 88 lodges to the initial 37-unit luxury development.
Mr Lidgard said “We have been working on the project for over two years now with the first phase of the planning passed in August 2019 unanimously. Unfortunately due to Covid we had to delay construction of phase one.
“With a renewed enthusiasm for staycations we felt this was the ideal time to finalise the planning for the second phase.
“This will see an additional 88 lodges added to the already confirmed 37 lodges bringing the total to 125 luxury five star lodges, complete with hot tubs in a parkland environment.
“This is great news for the market town of Louth, - where, as with any high street in the 海角视频 - retail is struggling. Within our scheme is a cycle and footpath leading into the town which will drive much needed tourist revenue to the shops, cafes and bars.”
Three wildlife ponds will provide a focus for the development, with Oak Ridge partnering with Hoseasons to let the luxury lodges when complete.
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“Since opening from lockdown the Brackenborough Hotel has seen a huge surge in tourists, once again cementing our confidence in the project,” Mr Lidgard said.
“Bracken Lakes Lodge Park will create significant employment during the construction phase as well as when it opens, and with daily announcements of redundancies we are proud to be in the position to offer sustainable employment in a rapidly growing sector.
“With an overall project cost of £16 million, we will maintain our existing policy of procuring local businesses who employ local people throughout the construction stage.”
As well as The Brack, Oak Ridge Group operates The Ashbourne Hotel at North Killingholme and The Counting House bar and restaurant in Cleethorpes, which are described as bringing assurance “of the quality and viability of this project”.
The company already employs around 150 people.
Richard Matthews, hotel director, added: “This is another exciting progression for The Brackenborough Hotel and for Louth as a whole as we make our first major investment into the lodge market and look forward to working with local businesses to make this a success.”
Phase one, closest to the hotel’s standalone function facility, The Tennyson Suite, is scheduled to open for a full 2021 summer season.
Oak Ridge is again working with Louth-based Lincs Design Consultancy, with positive feedback from pre-application work in 2019 from East Lindsey District Council highlighted ahead of the submission, covering both the landscaping and spacious siting of the lodges.