A well-known Rutland publican and award-winning tourism operator wants to expand his caravan site.

Jason Allen of The Fox, Pinfold Lane, North Luffenham has applied to Rutland County council for a change of use of 1.4ha of land at The Paddock, Lyndon Road, Manton.

Since 2010, the site has been used as a Camping and Caravanning Club certified site for five touring caravans and ten tents.

The application is to expand this to 20 pitches, accommodating either caravans/motorhomes or tents plus a caravan for a resident seasonal warden.

It would also open the site up to non-members of the camping and caravanning club.

The site is adults only, not allowing children, and advertises itself as a 'quiet' site, with 1ha of the 1.4ha used for caravanning.

Even with the extra pitch numbers the site will "continue to offer a quiet and spacious retreat for visitors."

In 2012, the application continued, the site beat 1500 other sites to become Camping and Caravan Club Certified Site of the Year and in 2015 it won another national award as the friendliest site in the country.

The site continually receives excellent reviews and feedback and demand outstrips supply, with repeat customers typically being over 50 seeking "a quiet well-maintained hideaway site."

A report said a manager would run the site from April to September, with Mr Allen operating it from his other business three miles away outside this period.

Jason Allen, it continued, is well known in the area for having being the owner of the Horse and Jockey Pub in Manton and now the owner of The Fox in North Luffenham.

The report added: "The applicant is chairman of Discover Rutland and has many years of experience in working with both statutory and voluntary organisations within Rutland associated with promoting tourism and delivering an exemplary visitor experience."