A planning application has been submitted to Sedgemoor District Council to allow Cheddar Bridge Touring Park to open all-year round.

The application at the site in Draycott Road is for the variation of Condition 1 of Planning Permission 33372G (continued use of land adjoining Gas House Lane, Cheddar, as a caravan and camping site) to extend the opening hours to allow for trade all-year round.

Currently the touring park is allowed to open between March 1 and November 15, but in the application David Comber from the park said that times have moved on in the tourism industry and they wanted to help support other traders in the village during the off-peak season.

The planning statement says: "At the time our site licence was issued 2004 it was a standard seasonal trading period that most sites in the Sedgemoor area worked with, but things have now moved on in the leisure industry as caravans and motorhomes are now built to be used all-year round.

"With this in mind, Cheddar traders find the winter months to be very challenging so extending our business period will also benefit the shops, tea rooms, cafes and pubs bringing more footfall through the doors of many small traders who struggle through off-peak season.

"We are located next to the Caravan and Motorhome Club who extended their site licence last year so we have been able to see the change in the visitor numbers out of season.

"This has enabled them to continue to employ people throughout the year rather than on a seasonal basis, and we would also be able to offer extended employment to our full-time staff.

"If our site licence is changed this will bring us in line with many other caravan sites in the Sedgemoor area, which will also help the local economy."