Record year for holiday lodge development
An upmarket holiday park in the North York Moors National Park has enjoyed a record-breaking year, despite Covid-19 forcing it to close for almost four months.
The 10-acre half a million pound Wayside Lakes development between Kirkbymoorside and Pickering that is owned by Yorkshire businessman Mark Goodson, appears to have benefitted from the rise in staycations as a result of the pandemic.
Goodson, whose is the third generation owner of the Wayside, said that the holiday park’s turnover had broken the £1m barrier for the first time in its 45-year history.
The five-star development, whose focal point is two picturesque lakes, caters for up to 38 exclusive lodges and saw a record 10 lodges sold this year, leaving only eight pitches available for sale.
Goodson said: “2020 was an extraordinary year for us, breaking all records. The Covid-19 crisis closed us down from March until July, but the demand after that for our lodges was unreal. We have never sold 10 in a year before. It was astounding.
“On one level, it seems wrong to have such a successful year amid such a ghastly global pandemic. But on another, we are proud to have provided a safe and healthy bolthole for people wanting to escape from the virus and all the pressures it brings.”
In addition to the record breaking sales, the year has also seen the park presented with the David Bellamy Gold Conservation Award for its promotion of ecology.
Goodson said: “It was an immense privilege to receive this Gold Award and an endorsement of everything that I, and my colleague and friend Trevor Jones, have tried to achieve here at Wayside. It’s been a labour of love – hard work at times, but extremely enjoyable.”
Looking ahead, Goodson is positive about the future, highlighting that holidays abroad may “not be on many peoples agendas” so perhaps demand for the lodges may remain hight.
