A holiday park on the Somerset coast will be getting a new performance stage, climbing wall and other activities after district councillors approved two new sets of plans.

The Haven Holiday Park on Marine Drive in Burnham-on-Sea has been welcoming both Somerset residents and tourists from further afield since  1963.

Haven Leisure Ltd. applied to upgrade the facilities in the heart of the holiday camp, installing a new outdoor stage for family-friendly events as well as a mini-adventure playground, a bungee trampoline, a climbing wall with a jump tower and a container bar.

Sedgemoor District Council’s development committee gave its backing to both sets of plans on Tuesday – despite concerns raised by local residents about how much noise the new activities would generate.

Under the agreed proposals, the new bar and play facilities will be installed around the outdoor swimming pool in the centre of the site.

The new stage will be erected slightly west of this, allowing puppet shows to be staged and films to be screened for holidaymakers.

Michael Wellman, who lives near the site, said the plans had not been designed with this particular site in mind.

He said: “These plans have been drawn up as a one-size-fits-all. While these may have worked on other Haven sites, Burnham-on-Sea is surrounded by residential streets.

“It’s difficult to suggest this brings income to the town. These are designed to keep holidaymakers on site and not use the town’s facilities.

“You cannot put silencers on people shouting and screaming as they use this type of facility. This will only increase noise levels.

“This application can only have a harmful impact on local residents. Please do not sacrifice the quality of life of 400 households for the profit of Haven.”

Maple Drive resident Gaynor Brown went further, likening the atmosphere near the holiday park to “living in a WWII prisoner of war camp”.

She added: “Haven claims we won’t hear any of the stage racket because the birdsong is too loud.

“There is no justification of need. Enshrined in law is the right to the quiet enjoyment of our homes.

“Berrow and Brean holiday parks are louder, but they are not surrounded by people’s homes. This will threaten the economic viability of the entire town.”

Councillor Barbara Vickers, who sits on Burnham and Highbridge Town Council, asserted that the noise assessments carried out on Haven’s behalf were “flawed” and argued the needs of the holiday park should not be put ahead of the 5,000 residents living nearby.

Phil Marsden of Lichfields (representing Haven) responded that the changes were small in scale and were needed to reflect changing habits among British holidaymakers.

He said: “These facilities are small in scale, and are within the central part of the holiday park, adjacent to existing buildings.

“There has been a post-covid need for more outdoor activities, as well as the rise in UK-based holidays. It will also help Haven, as a major local employer, to continue attracting families to the site.

“The stage will be used for small-scale performances intended for children, such as puppet shows, and the screen will be used for family films.”

The committee voted to approve the activity area plans unanimously, while the plans for the outdoor stage were approved by nine votes to zero (with two abstentions).