TRADERS fear Walton will be hit hard by the closure of one of the town’s major caravan sites.

The Martello Caravan Park site has been a magnet for tourists and holidaymakers over the summer season for decades.

But owners have confirmed this will be the final season for the site, which will shut its gates in December.

Walton councillor John Halls said: “There’s no doubt the caravan camp brings an awful lot of money into the town.

“Different generations of families came back year after year to stay at the site and enjoy Walton on their holidays. It is so sad to see it close and a great pity.”

Mr Halls says the park has been open since the 1950s and has about 500 caravans in three fields.

He fears the High Street shops will be hit hardest by the loss of the site. Its closure will leave Naze Marine Holiday Park and the Willows Caravan Park, both at the other end of town, as the main sites for holidaymakers.

The Martello closure will allow future developments to go ahead.

The site has been earmarked for 250 new homes under the new-look local plan.

Tesco already has permission to build a superstore at the front of the site. Developers also submitted outline plans for flats and a medical centre earlier this year, but the bid was turned down.