RYEDALE is set to get its biggest investment in the leisure and holiday industry for decades with plans to build a £25 million a luxury holiday village, sporting and events complex on the outskirts of Pickering.

The scheme for the town’s Showfield site, which was recommended for approval at last night’s meeting of Ryedale District Council’s planning committee, will include 133 holiday lodges, together with a restaurant, manager’s lodge, site shops, sports pitches and an event field, a lake, a park and ride facility and 15 glamping pods for campers.

News of the development, which is likely to start within a month if it gets the go-ahead, was welcomed by Coun William Oxley, chairman of Pickering Business Group.

“Both the town council and the business group have been staggered by the plans and how the company behind the venture is so committed to it,” he said.

He said the town authority had backed the scheme and the business leaders were “very enthusiastic” about its potential to benefit Pickering.

Julian Rudd, head of economy at Ryedale District Council, said: “It will be an enormous economic benefit to Pickering and Ryedale as a whole, with £25 million of investment on the site and a further £8 million a year being injected into the local economy by users of the complex. Pickering is a major tourism hub and is strategically placed for tourism and outdoor recreation, being close to the North York Moors National Park and vast areas of spectacular countryside in Ryedale.”

Jason Bruton, head of the company behind the venture, Ryedale Showground Ltd, said: “We are looking to create a hub which will serve a wider region with its top class lodges which will be among the finest in the country.

“I have known the site for a number of years and I believe it is under utilised.

“It’s infrastructure allows it to benefit the Pickering and Ryedale economies much more and create new jobs.”

Rachel Smith, the council’s planning officer, stated in a report to councillors that an archaeological study on the site showed there was “high potential” for remains from Iron Age to Romano Britain on the site and talks are underway to decide whether more geophysical work is needed.

Ms Smith said the lodges would be built from wood with some of them fronting a lake. Significant tree and shrub planting is to be carried out throughout the 43-hectare site.

She added that part of the scheme includes a 250-space park and ride facility to take people to Pickering two miles away.

An integral part of the scheme is to encourage cycling and walking, said Ms Smith.

A lake, some 240 metres long, will be built for kayaking, swimming, corporate team building and other events, she added.

About 46 permanent jobs will be created through the venture, with a further 60 during the four-year construction period.

Planning agreements are being made to protect the former Pickering to Malton railway line from development in the event of it being needed for a future restoration of the line.

The development is a significant investment in the Pickering area, its economy and community, and shows a confidence in the tourism industry in the town and in Ryedale.