On behalf of the residents of Eype, the wider community and visitors to our cherished corner of West Dorset, we the undersigned declare our anger and concern about the environmental impact inflicted on the coastline by the new development at Eype Beach Holiday Park (as pictured above). We believe it sets a dangerous precedence: and we ask, how has this been allowed unchallenged and where will it end?

A high-density holiday village (consisting of a dozen large ‘luxury’ lodges) is set to replace the low-impact seasonal campsite that existed on the same site for many years. Unlike the campsite, the lodges are permanent dwellings, requiring highly visible infrastructure, threatening irrevocable damage to the landscape and undermining the beauty and integrity of this fragile coastline. 

The development has been allowed without any public consultation – despite the scale of its impact on a place that is protected at the highest level. The site is set within an AONB, on the Jurassic Coast (a World Heritage site). What is the point of these protective designations, if developments like this are allowed to go ahead?

The site’s owner, West Dorset Leisure Holidays, promises guests the ‘rugged allure’ and ‘untamed nature’ of Eype – plus ‘stargazing’, stunning views and our ‘off-the-beaten track village’.; conversely, this development will clearly have a negative impact on the landscape, on village life, on nature and on our dark skies. The prominent site sits only yards from the SW Coast path – in an area where cliff-falls are a frequent occurrence. Is this fragile cliff-top the right place for a housing development?

We ask that this damaging and unacceptable ‘holiday village’ development is prevented, limited or compromised in order to protect Eype’s special nature and respect the local community. And in order to address the issues face to face, we challenge the outdated  planning legislation and licences that allow developments like these to go ahead  and demand a public consultation.