A HOLIDAY park in Devon is set to undergo a huge multi-million-pound renovation.
The planning committee at Teignbridge council has approved the next phase of a multi-million-revamp at Golden Sands Holiday Park in Dawlish, south Devon.
Documents submitted to the council outline a series of renovations to the clubhouse, shop and reception area.
The site’s outdoor swimming pool will also get a roof, with a new crazy golf course and activity centre being built.
The pool will be for the use of holiday park guests only and not for members of the public.
Park Holidays who own Golden Sands Holiday Park also applied for retrospective approval of its 25 timber camping pods.
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The timber pods were built at the Devonshire holiday park between 2018 and 2022.
When they were being built, Golden Sands had planning permission for 58 caravan and touring pitches.
In a piece in the Dawlish Gazette, Cllr Linda Goodman-Bradbury described the retrospective approval as “disappointing”.
She added: “My concern is about the footprint, and where the water is going. Dawlish Warren is very prone to flooding.”
Chartered town planner Robert Gandy, spoke on behalf of Park Holidays, countering the concerns of flooding, with the pods being less impactful in terms of drainage compared to the pitches.
Park Holidays describes the pods as “an exciting new type of accommodation designed to offer an alternative to camping and touring.”
The timber pods sleep up to four people and come equipped with double glazing, insulation and heating.
While the improvements have been given the go-ahead, a timeline has yet to be revealed, which means it is not yet known when the features will be on the site.
In the meantime, the coastal holiday park has enough to keep you occupied.
The Devonshire holiday park has both an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool.
It is also close to several beaches like the Blue Flag Dawlish Warren, Teignmouth Town Beach and Ness Cove.
Other on-site facilities include a restaurant and bar, an outdoor playground and an arcade with penny machines.
Holidaymakers can book an overnight stay in the camping pods, with prices starting from £37.50 per night.
The holiday park has been praised by visitors on TripAdvisor, with one person writing: “Another fantastic week at Golden Sands.”
Another added: “I’ve been going to Golden Sands for five years, love the staff, caravan and entertainment”.
Golden Sands isn’t the only holiday park that has recently revealed plans to renovate.
Earlier this week, Haven’s Presthaven Sands, which was visited by footballer Harry Maguire over the summer, also announced plans to renovate.
The holiday park has now revealed new plans to upgrade the resort.
New documents submitted to the local council include a huge extended play zone, with aerial adventure courses, climbing walls and bungee trampolines.
A new inflatable arena as well as a dog-friendly “Bark Yard zone” are also part of the plans.
Seven items one holiday park guru always takes on holiday
HOLIDAY Park expert Robbie Lane recently revealed the seven items he always packs before heading on a holiday park break with his family.
Here’s what he takes…
- Swimming trunks – an essential for days at the beach.
- A bottle of wine because on-site shops often have inflated prices, meaning the cost of food and drink will be higher.
- Bikes/scooters, which come in particularly useful when staying at larger sites.
- Blackout blinds for kids’ rooms to keep out any unwanted sunlight ensuring a good night’s kip.
- A multi-socket extension because some caravans or lodges simply don’t have enough sockets.
- A fan to help keep places cool, especially in the hot weather.
- And a can of WD40 to get rid of any annoying squeaks in door frames.
And Haven Primrose Valley opened a Wetherspoons on-site earlier this year, the first of its kind – and we went down.
Haven holidays for 2025 can still be found for £49 too.