PLANS to extend an Eden holiday park have sparked "fury" among nearby villagers who fear they will be "swamped" by the expanded tourist facility.

Around 50 residents of Ormside attended an emergency meeting in the village to discuss a planning application to extend the Wild Rose Holiday Park, near Appleby, which would more than double the size of the park from 40 to 84 acres.

Angie Rostron, of Eden Bank Farm, Ormside, said that emotions were "running high" in the area with residents "furious" about the development which they feared would lead to the village being "swamped" by a large Center Parcs-style facility.

There were also concerns about the loss of valuable areas of countryside and wildlife. She said it was feared an influx of visitors would require more car parking and access roads.

"Visitor numbers are predicted to increase to intolerable levels, destroying the delicate balance between local community and sustainable tourism," said Mrs Rostron.

The company has been operating its holiday park at Ormside for more than 30 years and has 500 holiday homes and lodges on the site. Its owners now plan to use adjoining land on which to build another 100 holiday homes over a 15 to 20-year period.

The park recently began providing accommodation in wigwams' which has proved successful and it also hopes to benefit from being next to the Pennine Bridleway - a long distance walking trail, biking and horse riding route - which is planned to go past the park.

Kimberley Stephenson, who is a member of the family which owns the park, said she was shocked by the reaction from local people.

"We knew there were concerns but we did not expect any sort of backlash. We held an open day which was attended by a lot of local people and we have conducted various surveys and have addressed a lot of the concerns about traffic by moving one of the entrances to the park to avoid blocking the road," said Miss Stephenson.

She also said the development would create jobs and bring more visitors to the area, which would be good for the local economy.

"We would not want to do anything to harm the area. We are a five-star holiday park and have very high standards. We have been awarded the David Bellamy Conservation Award Gold Standard which shows that, as a business, we are always bearing the local environment in mind," she added.

There will be a further parish meeting to discuss the proposals at Ormside Village Hall tonight (March 21) at 7.30pm.