Peterborough City Council consider plans for caravan park at former RAF Kings Cliffe, near Wansford

Plans have been submitted to create a caravan park at a former military base.

Peterborough City Council planning officers are considering the proposed change of use of a 0.9-hectare brownfield site, part of the former RAF King’s Cliffe, into a caravan park.

The development would result in the creation of 15 gravelled caravan pitches, a washblock and two separate cabins.

The site, at Leedsgate Farm Business Park, near Wansford, is surrounded by woodland and contains two ponds which an environmental survey found to hold a ‘medium population’ of great crested newts, a species protected by law.

The great crested newt survey, carried out this summer, said it was ‘likely’ part of a wider population of ‘regional significance’, which also fell within a Natural England red risk zone for the newts.

The survey said without mitigation measures the development would be likely to have a ‘high impact’ on the newts, and a ‘significant’ impact on local and regional populations.

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It added that while the ponds were being retained under the proposals, habitat suitable for commuting, foraging and sheltering or hibernating would be lost or changed.

The reports also found that increased human activity within 50 metres of the ponds may affect the suitability of these habitats for breeding.

Among recommendations were the relocation of newts, under licence from Natural England, before work began to develop the site, and the creation of a buffer of suitable, undisturbed habitat for once work was complete.