Policy E4: Tourism and Visitors

Policy E4: Tourism and Visitors

Bourne Leisure strongly supports the first paragraph of Policy E4 which states:

"The Council will work to promote and secure sustainable tourism development in the town. A more diverse and high quality tourism offer will be encouraged that seeks to lengthen the tourism season, increase the number of visitors, provide job opportunities and sustain the tourism economy."

This positive approach towards tourism development reflects recent policy guidance set out in the Hastings Visitor Accommodation SPD (March 2011), which recognises that the tourist industry is an important component of the local economy in Hastings, contributing £211m to the local economy and supporting an estimated 4850 jobs (paragraph 1). Paragraph 2 of the SPD also recognises that staying visitors are a particularly important element of the tourist economy, whilst paragraph 3 states that "the provision of new visitor accommodation and the maintenance and, where necessary, improvement of existing accommodation are therefore of key importance to the town".

The Company then specifically supports the second part of paragraph four of Policy E4 in regard to visitor accommodation, which states:

"Extension to existing visitor accommodation will also be supported subject to design and location policies".

Bourne Leisure also strongly supports the statement at paragraph six of Policy E4 that:

"Proposals for upgrading caravan and camping facilities will be encouraged where it increases the range and/or quality available to the tourist."

Both paragraphs four and six reflect the Borough's evidence that there is a need to maintain and improve existing tourism accommodation in Hastings.

With reference specifically to Bourne Leisure's operations in the Borough, at Combe Haven Holiday Park, the Company acknowledges that in order to respond to changing market conditions for higher grade accommodation, there is a need to invest regularly. During 2011, Bourne Leisure invested some £104 million in improving facilities and accommodation generally on its sites.

Bourne Leisure anticipates that over the next few years there will be a continuing demand for holidays 'at home', influenced by the higher costs of flying and a tighter economy, meaning that holidaymakers are looking for 'value for money' holidays. It is therefore vitally important that holiday facilities such as those operated by Bourne Leisure at Combe Haven are in the future able to provide the necessary range of high quality visitor accommodation, higher amenity standards and associated leisure and recreation facilities. In turn, these facilities will serve to enhance the overall tourism offer of the area and contribute fully to the visitor economy and thereby, to the wider local economy.

Bourne Leisure would also stress that in order to fund these improvements, it is often necessary to increase the size of holiday parks. The Company therefore considers that paragraph six of Policy E4 should be amended to state:

Proposals for upgrading caravan and camping facilities, including an extension in area, will be encouraged where it increases the range and/or quality available to the tourist."

see attached.