Camper van fire halts A38 traffic

Pario Holiday Parks, a family-run leisure group, acquired Crugan Holiday Park in Llanbedrog on August 12, strengthening its presence on the Llŷn Peninsula. The park, located near the beach and less than five miles from Abersoch, has about 100 privately owned holiday homes and will operate exclusively for holiday home owners. This is the group's fifth park in North Wales, joining sites in Rhyl, Abergele, Colwyn Bay, and Pwllheli.

North Ayrshire Council has approved plans for a new bridge over the railway at the Sandylands holiday park in Saltcoats. The structure will restore pedestrian access from the Parkdean Resorts site to the beach and dunes, which was lost when the old bridge was removed earlier this year. The new composite bridge is expected to have lower maintenance costs and be lighter than steel. It will also eliminate the need for visitors to walk 1.5–1.7 km to reach the beach via nearby routes.

Residents around Southbourne and Boscombe will hold a meeting on August 14 at 5pm at Boscombe Bowling Club Pavilion to discuss concerns about overnight camper van parking on Overcliff Drive. Issues include road safety, waste disposal, use of gas and diesel generators, and suitability for extended stays. Proposed measures include clearer signage, a permit system, and improved sanitation.

Firefighters from Bridport extinguished a grass fire at Freshwater Caravan Park. The cause was likely sunlight reflected from a discarded bottle. Staff contained the blaze.

In court on Wednesday, 12 August, 34-year-old Mathew Leggett of Midsomer Norton denied four charges related to an incident on 10 August. He allegedly trespassed into a motorhome parked in a layby near the Two Headed Man junction on the A39 Wells Road, threatened the owner with an axe, caused extensive damage to the interior with faeces and bodily fluids, and exposed his genitals intending to cause alarm or distress. Leggett also faces a charge of assaulting a police officer. The case was committed to Bristol Crown Court, with a hearing set for 2 September.

Lake District planners have warned that a proposed 100-caravan holiday park near Penruddock would harm the setting of the national park. The development, on agricultural land by Whitbarrow Farm, has already faced objections from the Environment Agency and concerns over drainage, traffic and cumulative impact. Area planner Phil Nicholls said the development would introduce built features into an undeveloped landscape, causing visual harm. Natural England has requested further information on potential effects on the River Eden Special Area of Conservation, and the council's ecology team has lodged a holding objection pending a breeding bird survey. The application remains under consideration.