MEMBERS of a social club showed they were made of true fighting spirit when they took on the giants of Blackpool corporation to preserve their life-saving caravan site.

Hampton Road Social Club, South Shore, may only be a small Blackpool community venue, but when push came to shove David beat Goliath and the game group came up trumps.

Snapping up the former Railway Club and adjacent caravan land eight years ago, members of the South Shore club have relied on the income from weekend visitors to stay afloat and had no problems until April this year when they were suddenly slapped with an injunction to ban individual caravanners.

So it was all hands on deck and thanks to a successful appeal the popular club has now been recognised as an established location which is immune from planning enforcements due to the length of time in operation as a caravan site.

Club secretary Barrie Field told the Citizen: "We couldn't believe it. We really need that money coming in to keep going and for refurbishments such as those recently carried out extensively on the clubhouse by our own committe members such as Billy Dickinson etc. We have never asked for any grants or help with funds preferring to join together and do it all ourselves and without the caravan revenue I don't know what we'd do.

"Now we are over the moon as it turns out we are officially established due to caravanners visiting for more than ten years and all we need to do now is apply for a site license."

Barrie added: "After that the sky's the limit and we can use the revenue to upgrade the site with an electrical hook-up and proper facilities such as showers etc."

A spokesman for the planning department of Blackpool Borough Council commented: "As far as the council is concerned Hampton Road Social Club was operating without planning permission and it was something we were concerned about.

"Also there had been complaints from residents in the past and so we sent an inspector to the site who decreed the club was immune due to the length of time in operation.

"We have now referred the matter to our legal services department for further action as they are still committing an offence under the Caravan Sites Act by operating without a licence."

Further land previously owned by the Railway Club was bought by Whitbread which has recently received planning permission for a 40 bedroom extension to its Yeadon Way, Brewers Fayre and Travel Inn to be constructed adjacent to Hampton Road Social Club.

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