Fury at plans for year-round holiday parks amid tourist 'noise and disrespect'

Four holiday parks on the Norfolk coast have applied for permission to stay open year-round - but locals aren't keen. The tourist spots, operated near the villages of Hemsby and Ormesby in Great Yarmouth, are owned by the company Fourpenny Ltd and currently welcome guests during a seasonal occupancy window between March and October. New applications submitted on behalf of the firm have sought to remove the restrictions, however, allowing visitors to stay at sites including Ormesby Grange Tents and Touring and Long Beach Park across all 12 months.

Site operators pointed to rising demand as an explanation for the measures, suggesting they would otherwise need to physically expand the parks. One nearby resident strongly rebuked the idea of holidaymakers maintaining a year-round presence, however, suggesting they subject locals to "annoyance, threats, abuse, noise and disrespect".

"I have had a few cases where dogs have entered my front garden and destroyed plants and outdoor lighting, and when confronted to ask them to retrieve their animals, I have been met with verbal abuse," they added.

"They allow guests to speed around the roads on motor bikes and cars at all hours, creating more disturbance [and] I have had road cones thrown at my windows by drunken guests.

"This place is [currently] open for the seasonal period and out of peak season, we the residents finally get to feel safe in our homes."

In the planning documents, a representative for the developer said: "It is important to emphasise that currently the demand is such that there is a need for expansion. By extending the occupational period, this [provides] the expansion needed with no physical changes or impact to the immediate area and provides economic benefits in line with local policy."

Two other holiday parks in Hemsby were granted permission to stay open year-round in the summer despite fears the change could "erode designated tourist areas" in the region.

The Seafield and Sea Breeze caravan parks were granted permission to stay open in July regardless of objections from neighbours and the local parish council, the Eastern Daily Press reports.

The council warned that the move would "open the floodgates" for other sites to follow suit across Great Yarmouth, while those living nearby said they were worried about noise and antisocial behaviour.