Plans to expand a holiday park by erecting 110 more caravans have been branded “excessive” and sparked fears of extra traffic.

Bosses at Preston Park in Manston, near Ramsgate, want to increase the size of its operations by more than a half by developing farmland next to its existing site in Preston Road.

The current park, which is open year-round, already hosts 202 static caravans and lodges.

Papers submitted to Thanet District Council show owner Kent Leisure Parks wants to install an additional 110 caravans on a neighbouring 10-and-a-half acre site, along with 220 cycle spaces and parking for 148 cars.

It says: “The layout of the proposed development has been carefully considered throughout the design process to be considerate to the application site and its surrounding area.”

Preston Park bosses also plan to bring in extra staff should the proposals be approved, with four full-time and two part-time positions potentially being created.

But members of Manston Parish Council have raised concerns over the scheme, citing issues with overdevelopment, traffic, loss of green space and the strain on existing infrastructure.

In its objection, the council said: “The proposed development of 110 caravans appears excessive and could lead to overdevelopment, negatively impacting the character and quality of the surrounding area.

“The scale of the development poses risks to the local environment.

“The increase in caravans will likely result in a surge in vehicular traffic, potentially causing congestion and safety hazards.

“It is essential to assess whether the local infrastructure, such as schools, healthcare facilities, and public services, can adequately support the increased population resulting from the proposed development.”

Preston Park is one of two holiday home sites under the control of Kent Leisure Parks, with the company also operating the Dog and Duck Leisure Park in Plucks Gutter, Canterbury.

On its website, the operator describes its Manston site as a “quiet, peaceful holiday home site situated in a beautiful countryside location” which offers both new and pre-owned caravans for customers.

It also boasts private woodlands and a family of alpacas for visitors to interact with.

A Kent Leisure Parks spokesperson told KentOnline it was surprised to hear the parish council’s dissenting view after hosting what were believed to be positive talks.

The company said: “We’re licensed for 236 pitches but because caravans have gotten bigger, we’ve lost 34 pitches over the years.

“I think people think we’re going to get an additional 110 pitches but compared to what we have it’s not as big as it might seem.

“We’ve done extensive studies regarding development, it’s going to be a 10-year phasing so there won’t suddenly be a big development there.

“It won’t affect schools like the parish council says, it’ll bring money into the area and create jobs.

“They categorically said ‘we support you’ before the application, we don’t really know what’s happened since then.”