West Norfolk Council wants to develop the Seagate caravan park by moving part of the site from alongside South Beach Road to the existing car park off Seagate Road, and to put a new car park in its place.

A petition against the proposal has attracted 77 signatures, and objections have also been raised by 21 residents and businesses, as well as the town council and civic society.

There are strong concerns about the possible loss of parking spaces and important access routes to the sea front, and increased traffic problems.

Seagate Road residents fear changes in access will leave them having to queue to return to their homes, and Hunstanton Civic Society says the proposals are at odds with early regeneration plans being drawn up which show the new caravan park site as a training and development area.

Hunstanton Mayor Richard Bird said: "The outline regeneration plans put forward have a completely different purpose for the site. It seems ridiculous to spend this kind of money only to have it ripped out in the next five years."

Council planners have recommended councillors approve the plan, subject to conditions, when it comes up for discussion at the authority's development control board on Monday (7).

A report to the board says the application proposes to swap existing uses on the site, and claims while the move would reduce the number of caravan pitches from 93 to 71, the amount of land given over for car park use would remain unchanged.

It said concerns about the application conflicting with regeneration work "carry little weight as a guide to decision making" and stressed the plan should not be refused on grounds of prematurity.

Residents' concerns about increased traffic from access changes have not been echoed by highways authority Norfolk County Council, it added.

The county council believes the proposals may reduce traffic on Southend Road, and says Seagate Road is adequate to cope with additional traffic.

The report also says an additional benefit would be moving the caravan park out of a higher risk flood zone.