Ludlow holiday homes a boost to tourism
An MP has been see progress on a £200,000 holiday home park on the outskirts of a county town.
Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, visited Ludlow Touring Park during National Tourism Week to see how work is coming along on a new 36-pitch park for static caravans that will sit alongside the existing park, which currently has 135 pitches for mobile homes and caravans.
Mr Dunne said the park and its new development was "important" for the local economy.
He said: “Since this park opened five years ago, I have been very impressed by how it has matured into a fold of the valley. The park looks beautiful, is very discreetly landscaped and is clearly a lovely place to come and spend some time.
“The development of a holiday home park adds another dimension. With 135 pitches and regular visitors throughout the year, the park is a steady source of business for the town’s pubs, restaurants and shops which makes it an important contributor to the local economy.
“Tourism is one of the big drivers of the south Shropshire economy. There is nowhere better in Great Britain to take advantage of the spectacular scenery and food and drink experience than the hills of south Shropshire and its glorious market towns which I promote at every opportunity.”
The touring park, on the A49 south of Ludlow, is affiliated with The Caravan and Motorhome Club and one of six parks in Shropshire and North Wales owned by Morris Leisure.
It is estimated to generate around £2 million a year for the local economy, Morris Leisure’s managing director Edward Goddard said, and had attracted a record number of customers in the first three months of this year.
“It’s great to be able to develop a caravan holiday home park alongside the touring park and bring even more sustainable tourism to Ludlow, which is a very popular destination," he said.
“We believe the new park will further enhance the local tourism offer and generate extra income for Ludlow and the surrounding area, which has got to be good news for the local economy.
"People who love visiting the area now have an opportunity to own a holiday home in Ludlow and we hope many of the touring caravan and motorhome owners who regularly stay on our park will be encouraged to invest,” he added.
