Plans for a £60 million holiday park near Ringford have been rejected by planning officials. VCL Developments had proposed to build 425 lodges at Barncrosh, but the application was turned down due to insufficient information. In mid-September, experts representing VCL requested the removal of certain reports from the council’s planning portal, citing a lack of necessary details. The council asked for the required information to be provided within 28 days, but ultimately, the decision was made to refuse planning permission for the project.
The land at Barncrosh, which was previously owned by BPL1 Ltd, was sold to Apple Invest Ltd in 2021 for £1.35 million. However, Apple Invest later went into administration, leading to the sale of Barncrosh and a caravan park at Barnsoul. Documents filed with Companies House indicated that Barncrosh was valued at over £6 million. VCL Developments, a separate entity from the previous developers of the site, expressed regret for any confusion and stated that Barncrosh was their first project in Dumfries and Galloway.
The shareholder of VCL, Andrew Anderson, confirmed ownership of the site, with director Branagh Mcnamara holding the other half of the shares. Recent filings at Companies House reflected changes in directorship within related companies owned by Anderson. Despite previous ventures in luxury holiday lodge rentals, websites for GladePark Investments Ltd and VCL appeared to be inaccessible. The future of the Barncrosh site remains uncertain following the rejection of the holiday park plans.
In summary, plans for the £60 million holiday park at Barncrosh in Dumfries and Galloway have been rejected due to insufficient information provided in the application. The history of ownership changes and administrative issues surrounding the site raise questions about its future development. Stakeholders involved in the project, including VCL Developments and Apple Invest Ltd, are navigating challenges amidst the decision to refuse planning permission.