Whalesborough Near Bude: Revised Plan for 68 Lodges Approved

Cornwall Council’s planning department has approved a revised scheme to expand Whalesborough Farm, the holiday complex near Bude in north Cornwall. The decision, reported by The Post on 9 October 2026, allows 68 additional holiday lodges to be sited on land to the west of the existing resort.

It is not the first time the expansion has been approved. What makes this decision worth a closer look is why the plans had to come back to the council at all.

A 2023 permission that did not stack up

According to The Post, UKGP Whalesborough Ltd obtained planning permission in 2023 to extend the resort westwards with a variety of 68 lodges. Since then, its owners concluded that the proposals as approved were financially unviable.

Rather than abandon the extension, the company submitted a new application. As described in the report, it sought to:

• change the use of land for the siting of 68 additional holiday lodges, with decking, landscaping, roads and amenity areas
• construct an overflow car park
• create an outdoor event space
• relocate an existing wind turbine
• build a padel tennis court

The padel tennis court was later removed from the scheme before approval. The wind turbine, which planning documents describe as disused, is to be moved to a new site in the field to the south west, similar to the 2023 plans.

The Post reports that Marhamchurch Parish Council resolved to make no comment on the application.

What the council said

In approving the application, Cornwall Council said the proposed variations “do not fundamentally alter the nature or acceptability of the approved development”. It added that the scheme continues to support the expansion of an established tourism destination, delivering economic benefits, employment opportunities, biodiversity enhancements and renewable energy provision.

The council accepted there would be some landscape impact from developing currently undeveloped land, but described this as limited, capable of mitigation and outweighed by the wider benefits. It also pointed to the extant permission and what it called the established fall-back position, meaning the 2023 consent already existed, and concluded that the variation could be granted subject to updated conditions.

Why viability is the real story

The phrase “financially unviable” stands out. A scheme with planning permission is only part of the picture. Build costs, infrastructure, ground works and the cost of finance all have to make sense before lodges actually appear on the ground. The Post’s report does not set out what exactly made the 2023 version unviable, so we would not want to guess. It does show, though, that operators are willing to go back to the planning authority and rework a consented layout rather than leave a permission unused.

For the wider holiday park market, that is a sign of continued confidence in lodge holidays in Cornwall. North Cornwall remains a popular area for holiday homes, and an established resort adding 68 lodges points to an expectation of steady demand.

What it could mean for existing owners

When a park adds a large number of new units, existing holiday home owners on that park, and on nearby parks, sometimes ask how it might affect them. The honest answer is that it depends on the park and on the type of homes involved. A few points are worth bearing in mind:

• New stock on sale. New lodges are often sold by the park itself. That can mean more choice for buyers in the area, which owners hoping to sell privately may notice.
• Facilities. An overflow car park and event space may improve the experience for everyone on site, though the details will depend on how the park runs them.
• Your own agreement. Your licence agreement, pitch fees and park rules are what govern your holiday home, so it is worth checking these if anything about your park changes.

If you are weighing up whether a lodge or a static caravan suits you better over the long term, our guide on whether a lodge or a static holds its value better may help. We also have a page for owners in the county at selling a static caravan in Cornwall.

What happens next

The approval is subject to updated conditions, and The Post’s report does not give a timetable for building work or for when the new lodges might be ready. We will keep an eye on the scheme and report back if more detail is published.

Thinking about selling your holiday home?

Whether you own a static caravan or a lodge in Cornwall or elsewhere in the UK, we are happy to have a friendly, no obligation chat. We aim to contact you within 24 hours of an enquiry and to make an offer within 48 hours of that contact. Payment is made on collection day before the caravan is loaded. You can also read more about selling a lodge with us.

Call us free on 0800 644 5000 or visit Static Caravan Buyer to get started.