A NORTH Norfolk holiday park is investing £200,000 in improvements this year as it adapts to changing visitor trends and adds to its environmental credentials.

A NORTH Norfolk holiday park is investing £200,000 in improvements this year as it adapts to changing visitor trends and adds to its environmental credentials.

The award-winning woodland campus at Kelling Heath is getting upgraded touring pitches, a revamped restaurant and a greener toilet block for the upcoming season.

Fewer but bigger spaces on one of the fields hosting a total of 300 touring pitches were aimed at a growing number of bigger vans and motor homes, said park manager Mark Durrant.

Some people, at the high end of the market, who liked “an element of luxury”, were spending more than £60,000 on motor homes, equipped with showers, toilets, and satellite television - so the pitches needed to reflect that.

A major refurbishment of the Blue Butterfly toilet block includes solar panel water heating, and toilets flushed with rainwater, natural lambswool loft insulation and sensor-driven lights, which cut down power consumption and bills, by avoiding having the whole block lit up all night in case someone wanted to use the facilities, said Mr Durrant.

The block would be assessed during the summer to see if the ideas could be used elsewhere on the site in the future, he added. A similar venture was being done at its sister park, Wood Hill at East Runton.

The other major change has seen a former pizza restaurant on the “village square” switched to Brackens coffee house delicatessen and bistro - giving it more of an all-day appeal. The revamped restaurant also has a two-station internet café and free wi-fi for customers.

Since the change in licensing laws it can offer its previously “members-only” facilities to allcomers - from the three restaurants, to the leisure facilities such as a gym, pool, tennis courts and cycle hire, said Mr Durrant.

Although customers came from all over the country, 60pc lived in Norfolk, and typically used the park for out-of-season short breaks, or a main season week's holiday, drawn by its countryside setting, he added.

For more information contact the park on 01263 588181 or visit www.kellingheath.co.uk