Riverview Country Park: Plans to extend Moray caravan park at Mundole draw dozens of complaints

Plans to extend a Moray caravan park have drawn dozens of objections from residents and neighbours.

Camelo Parks Ltd have applied to Moray Council to add 57 static holiday caravan pitches at Riverview Country Park in Mundole.

The application includes road landscaping and drainage infrastructure at the site, which currently accommodates 128 residential caravan pitches, 36 holiday static caravan pitches and 20 touring caravan pitches.

A previous application for an additional 78 static pitches was refused in April.

Residents and neighbours have registered detailed complaints regarding the “horrendous” infrastructure. Mentioned are inadequate drainage and sewerage, pot-hole-ridden roads and a lack of street lighting.

There are also concerns that the new pitches would increase traffic, damaging roads, and attract hundreds of tourists which would “spoil peace and quiet”.

One neighbour said: “The current waste drainage system has experienced repeated overflows and blockages, resulting in persistent odours that affect surrounding properties.”

A member of the public who has owned a unit at Riverview for more than four years added: “Our infrastructure is absolutely horrendous.

“I was told Moray Council would not renew the park’s licence until the sewage was fixed, however, it went right ahead despite nothing being done.”

A neighbour claimed that effluent has overflowed onto open ground and said a “failing septic tank” was reported in 2020, 2023 and May of this year.

“However, there has been no effective work to deal with the noxious gas and other disgusting smells,” the objection said.

Another objector declared that there are obnoxious smells from the present “inadequate system”, adding: “They are now proposing to further aggravate that by adding more soakaways, rather than finding a permanent solution to the problem.”

The proposals involve the installation of a sustainable drainage system for managing surface water run-off and a private packaged foul drainage treatment plant and associated soakaway.

Further complaints pointed to poor electricity infrastructure and a lack of street lighting - while a major concern is based around the lack of a sufficient road network.

“The site roads are in poor condition and the extra traffic will make them worse,” said a neighbour. “The extra traffic from 57 new properties would be significant - the Mundole road and access to A96 is not robust enough.”

Other objectors said the proposed development will increase traffic, further deteriorating roadways, and pointed to a lack of parking and pathways.

One added: “If holiday homes are allowed then there will be an increase in children on site. The roads are nonconductive to the safety of children.”

Finally, multiple complains centre on the “holiday” caravan pitches.

“This is predominantly a retirement site,” said a neighbour. “Holidaymakers bring more noise.

“There are also no facilities for them so they might wander the site, spoiling our peace and privacy.”

An older objector living at Riverview added: “I can only see trouble ahead if this is allowed.”

Riverview’s owners Camelo Parks have been approached for comment.