Folly Farm, the popular Pembrokeshire attraction, has submitted plans to county planners for three new holiday lets. The application, made by managing director Chris Ebsworth through agent A D Architectural Design Consultants Ltd, requests permission from Pembrokeshire County Council to demolish the nearby property Highcroft and construct three holiday lets on the site.
Development details
The property and an adjacent workshop would both be demolished, with the entire site opened up for the proposed development. A supporting statement explains that the size of the existing dwelling is "mis-proportionate" in relation to the overall site, and that there is currently an excessive area of unused garden space.
The statement adds that the proposal would make better use of the land, with the three holiday units each having their own private parking areas and amenity spaces. It describes Folly Farm Holiday Park as "an ever-growing venture" and says the addition of three units would be beneficial to the business.
Attraction background
Folly Farm Holiday Park forms part of the renowned Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo on the edge of Begelly. The attraction features exotic and farmyard animals, games, fair rides, and adventure playgrounds, and was named Best Day Out in Wales in 2015.
County planners are expected to determine the application at a later date. In 2023 the attraction marked its 35th anniversary, having begun as a diversification project from a dairy farm.
More than half a million people visit Folly Farm annually from throughout the UK and further afield. Key milestones include launching its indoor vintage fairground in 1996, now Europe's largest of its type, introducing its first zoo animals in 2002, bringing Wales' only giraffes to the attraction in 2009, and celebrating the arrival of a black rhino calf named Glyndwr in 2020, a tribute to late founder Glyn Williams.
