A CARAVAN park north of Dorchester could expand, under new plans.

Plans have been submitted to Dorset Council for a 40-space extension to the caravan park at Lyons Gate.

It has been made by the Hop Farm Family Park, based in Oxfordshire. If approved it will add substantially to the size of the site, which already has permission for 60 touring caravans, 13 static caravans and 30 tents.

The company is hoping to extend the site into a clearing within adjoining Alleymoor Wood and is asking Dorset Council to approve the principle of siting up to 40 caravans on the site without the need to obtain full planning permission – claiming that a lawful use has already been established for the site and that the area has been used for more than a decade ancillary to the caravan site.

A company statement says: “The existing site licence would be extended across the entire site, meaning that works required by the site licence would be permitted development. As part of the amended site licence application a revised layout plan for site licence purposes would be submitted reflecting the enhanced layout.”

The parish council has said that it has no objection to the changes.

The plans have been submitted after Waterside Holiday Group unveiled plans for a major expansion, which would see the creation of 56 “high end” residences at Weymouth’s Bowleaze Cove.

A statement submitted with the plans says it would be “possible to conclude” that the scheme could generate £1.5million in gross value added (GVA) to the local economy.

The plan is for an 18-acre site next to the existing Waterside Holiday Park and Spa, with 31 cedar-clad static homes and 25 “round houses”. The company says the homes would be “generously spaced out” and would blend with the environment.