TOURISM in the Borders could be about to receive a massive shot in the arm with plans for a major new village caravan park being revealed.

Planning permission is being sought from Scottish Borders Council for 44 static caravans on a site at Grantshouse near Duns.

The static caravan tourism market has grown significantly in recent years and is a major sector in UK domestic tourism.

A spokesperson for the applicant, Duns-based Grantshouse Development Company, said the aim was to build on that growth.

They added: “The development is located on a major national tourist route in an area of high tourism activity with multiple local attractions and destinations for tourism, leisure and outdoor exploration.

“The site currently is a well-known tourism rest area, with picnic area and public toilets managed by the applicant, and has supporting infrastructure in the Cedar Café.

“The masterplan protects the site assets and amenity through sensitive planning of the site, site access and caravan plots supporting a creating amenity for both site residents and visitors, including travelling tourist/leisure users on the A1.

“The masterplan protects and enhances the woodland cover on the site, enhances local biodiversity, extends and strengthens boundary woodland edges and retains publicly usable areas and retains the public toilets as an amenity for all users.

“The development will support overnight stays and encourage local expenditure that can help to sustain existing popular local business activity (Cedar Café) and provide accommodation to meet demand.

“The development location offers a excellent tourism/leisure base for wider Berwickshire offering good accessibility to the Lammermuir Hills, Southern Uplands (including southern Upland Way) and the coast.

“The planning application also responds directly to both the national and regional tourism agenda recognising Scottish Borders and the A1 Corridor as an important established tourism gateway, with the site able to offer high-quality year round experiences for visitors and support existing tourism and leisure operators and associated local businesses.”