A green lane near the Brosterfield site. Photo: Peter Barr CC-BY-SA-2.0

A national park authority which is disposing of land and property in the face of budget cuts has forked out £650,000 to buy a caravan site.

The Peak District National Park Authority said it made the decision to protect the landscape and prevent the setting up of a static caravan park.

It said it intends to look for a buyer for the Brosterfield Farm caravan site, west of Eyam, once legal protections have been put in place to ensure only touring caravans use the location.

The Peak authority acted after villagers in Foolow expressed concern that the site owners Tingdene Parks intended to place ‘park home’ style caravans on the two fields in the White Peak.

The national park authority said: “When planning permission for the site was first approved in 1998 the intention had been for the site to only be used by touring caravans.

“But the company won a planning appeal in August 2011 which found that the wording of the original planning permission decision notice did not stop static caravans from being placed on the site as was originally intended.”

The national park, in common with others across the country, had its budgets cut by 29 per cent by the coalition Government, and embarked on a programme of disposals of some of its prime assets, including its learning centre at Losehill Hall, which it sold to YHA.

It also leased The Roaches, a popular rockclimbing and walking site, to the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and is considering options to dispose of the North Lees Estate, which includes another top climbing venue, Stanage Edge.

An authority spokesperson said of the Brosterfield site: “Once the sale is finalised the Peak District National Park Authority will remove the right to put static caravans on site, using what is known as a discontinuance order.

“It will then put the site up for sale with a planning permission for it to be used solely as a touring caravan site.”

Authority chair Tony Favell said: “We shared the concerns of local people that the planned move to change the caravan site from one for touring caravans to a site housing static park-style homes would have had a huge impact on the landscape dominating views of the area over some distance.

“We always maintained the site only had permission for touring caravans but when the planning inspector disagreed with that interpretation of the planning permission we needed to act to protect the site.

“I want residents and visitors to the area to know that this move ensures that park homes or other static caravans will not be allowed on the site.

“The price was agreed using advice from the district valuer and we will seek to recoup as much of that back as possible from selling the site on as a touring caravan site.”

The authority said it will consider whether to make a further planning application to put additional facilities on the site, such as a small toilet block.

Chris Taylor, chair of Foolow Parish Meeting, said: “I would wish to congratulate the Peak District National Park Authority for bringing this case to a satisfactory conclusion and also for their close co-operation throughout all the proceedings.”

The national park authority had lodged an appeal in the High Court against the planning inspector’s decision to allow static caravans on the site. It said the legal action will be withdrawn once the sale has been completed.