Lancashire's vast new coastal holiday park with 495 lodges, a golf course and four-storey hotel

A £35m development with a hotel, golf course and hundreds of holiday lodges is coming to Fylde. The major development will also feature a leisure centre with a swimming pool built off Garstang Road in Larbreck, around two miles from Poulton-le-Fylde.

Larbreck Golf and Leisure Village will be built on land off Garstang Road

Named Larbreck Golf and Leisure Village, the development is designed to become a "major tourist destination" and is expected to create 85 full-time equivalent jobs and add up to £2.5m each year to the local economy.

After years of planning and discussions, the scheme from north Lancashire-based Pure Leisure Group has finally been approved by Fylde Council.

The plan includes up to 495 holiday lodges, a four-storey hotel with more than 100 bedrooms, a leisure facility, greenkeepers building and store, and a 9-hole executive golf course with practice facilities.

According to the application, "the proposed development aims to provide high quality facilities and holiday lodges whilst ensuring the scheme fits suitably within its context".

The Pure Leisure Group (PLG) is owned by leisure entrepreneur John Morphet and already operates 12 holiday lodge and caravan parks across the UK. Aimed towards the higher end luxury market, the parks are mainly focussed around leisure facilities, however some, such as Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club in the Cambridgeshire Fens, focus around golf courses.

In addition to its UK operations PLG also owns and operates the world class golf and beach resort 'Royal Westmoreland' in St James, Barbados. These developments have been used as a design guide for the proposals of Larbreck Golf and Leisure Village.

A detached two storey leisure facility will be included within the proposals and include fitness, swimming and leisure facilities with associated changing rooms and viewing platforms, as well as a restaurant/café, bar area and small convenience store.

The leisure facility will also contain an area with internal golfing facilities including simulator bays, putting greens and a pro-golf shop as well as a clubhouse with externally accessible changing rooms and an assigned café/clubhouse area targeting mostly the golfers and students using the other proposed facilities.

The proposed leisure centre and hotel at Larbreck Golf and Leisure Village

The hotel block will be located directly adjacent to the leisure facility and will also offer a restaurant/dining area, kitchen and bar. It is intended that the close proximity of both the hotel

and leisure facility will provide easy access for the guests to share the leisure and other facilities that are provided

The proposals include a main car parking area located at the site entrance and a smaller car park towards the front of the hotel providing a total no. 260 car parking spaces with associated disabled and staff spaces.

An additional 32 car parking spaces have also been provided for the greenkeepers building and store directly in front of both buildings and separated from the main car park area. More informal car parking would also be provided at each lodge.

Westenborg Golf Design was commissioned to advise on the layout of the golf facility having previously worked on projects including Dun Laoghaire, Dooks, Blainroe and Cork in Ireland and Rockliffe Hall, Wychwood Park, Southport & Ainsdale and Moor Park in England.

The company has also been involved in new and renovation projects in Spain, Portugal, Hong Kong, China and Brazil.

It suggested creating an "executive" sized nine hole golf course as the best option based on the space available, to allow people to play in less time, and to be accessible to juniors and beginners. It also considered the other nearby facilities before deciding its recommendation.

A golf, hotel, leisure and holiday development is coming to Larbreck

An executive golf course is a mixture of full-length golf holes but with a higher proportion of par 3 holes than a full-sized course.

Near the first hole, around 100-metres from the hotel and leisure complex, will be a large putting green and bunker/chipping green which is described as a "Himalayan" feature and based on a similar facility at St Andrew's in Scotland.

The application concluded: "Development of the site for the new holiday lodges, hotel and leisure facility would contribute to achieving the following aims:

• Achieves an efficient layout resulting in an economical use of land to satisfy an identified need.
• Will result in a well-planned development which will be easily absorbed into its immediate context.
• Will enhance tourism and leisure facilities to the locality.
• Has been designed to function well and has considered the opportunities available for maintaining the character and quality of the area as well as addressing any constraints."

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