New holiday park planned for abandoned golf course in pretty UK market town

PLANS have been submitted to turn a disused golf course into a luxury holiday park in Nottinghamshire,

The hope to build 19 luxury wooden lodges and create fishing lakes on the unused site near the pretty town of Southwell.

Plans for the new holiday park to be built on the Orchards Golf Course in Brinkley, have been submitted to the Newark and Sherwood District Council.

However, it's not the first time that plans for this have been put forward.

Separate approval was given in 2017 for a new clubhouse and up to six holiday lodges on the site, but the current application seeks to increase the number to 19.

On the council website, plans for the lodges show on the floor plan they will have two bedrooms, one with an en suite, one with a shower room.

As well as a lounge, kitchen, and dining room, all of which have double doors leading to the outside areas.

Since the approval eight years ago, there have been many more proposals to increase the size of the site, but all have been rejected.

The reasons why included the development not being sensitive to the rural surroundings or character.

Another was that the site is not accessible by sustainable transport or within walking distance of Southwell – the nearest town.

Current plans, submitted by Denmar Property Developments Ltd., say they would get rid of all existing buildings on the site and put in wooden lodges.

The proposals also detail areas for visitor and staff parking, fishing lakes, and a reception building with bike storage.

A decision about the holiday park is expected to be made later this year.

The town of Southwell is one of the prettiest in the county of Nottinghamshire.

In 2024, Calculator.co.uk conducted a survey to find the top 100 most envied lifestyles in the UK, and Southwell was the only town in Nottinghamshire to make the list – at number 77.

It is mostly recognised for its impressive Southwell Minster, which was built in the Middle Ages.

Southwell is very close to Sherwood Forest, which spans over a thousand acres and is home to 500 year old oak trees.

It's also very near the Beeston Marina on the River Trent where you'll find The Boathouse Café, a favourite local spot.

Just outside of Southwell is one of the UK's best-value theme parks in the country – the Robin Hoods Wheelgate Park.

It's spread over 30 acres and has seven themed zones, including the Animal Adventure Zone, the Alien Galaxy Zone, the Land of the Pharaohs, the Robin Hood Zone and the Tropical Zone.

One of the theme park's best attractions is the Splash Play area in the Robin Hood zone, which features a range of water slides and a huge drop waterfall.

Here's another Midlands holiday park with its own Wild West town and billed as one of the best theme parks for under 10s.

And Sun Travel's favourite holiday parks that is the cheapest in the UK with lazy rivers and fairgrounds from £13 a night.

A Travel Expert Names This Holiday Park In Nottingham As One Of His Favourites

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Robbie raved about Center Parcs, noting the “outstanding” swimming pools in each of the UK sites.

He added: “We like the way that no one can use their car on-site. While it's a bit inconvenient when you first unpack, you soon get used to the novelty.

“It also means children can safely scoot or cycle around and parents can relax a little bit”.

Described as the “original UK village” on its website, Center Parcs Sherwood Forest site in Nottinghamshire is home to 400 acres of forest.

Center Parcs is known for its wide-ranging activities and its Sherwood Forest site is no different with an award-winning forest spa and the UK's first treetop sauna.

There are plenty of family-friendly activities too, including Aerial Tree Trekking, miniature submersibles, archery lessons for all ages, falconry lessons, an insect safari, mini jet skis, paintballing and a wizard academy.

And of course, there's also the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, a swimming pool that's heated to 29.5C throughout the year.

Visitors to Center Parcs Sherwood Forest can expect to find a raft ride, a Tropical Cyclone, a wave pool, Wild Water Rapids and a hot whirlpool.

There are five different accommodation options at the holiday park, including treehouse stays.

Each of the treehouses has enough space for eight guests and comes equipped with a private outdoor hot tub, a dedicated host, a games room with a pool table, a sauna and an entertainment system.

Other accommodation options include Woodland Lodges, Executive Lodges, Exclusive Lodges and hotels and apartments.