A FAMILY-RUN luxury holiday business is now generating £1m a year of business for the tourism economy in North Yorkshire.

Cedar Retreats, on the edge of West Tanfield, near Masham, is drawing an increasing number of high-spending visitors to the area.

The latest stage in the development of 37 lodges – a central office for the team looking after the site – was opened by Richmond MP Rishi Sunak.

He described the cedar-clad lodges in a lakeside setting - all of which are equipped with hot tubs – as “stunning” and praised the enterprise of owners James and Sarah Gawthorpe in seeing the potential of the old quarry site and developing a growing business.

“What you have created here is very special, offering a great experience for visitors to our county and employment to local people,” he said.

Mr Gawthorpe said 28 lodges had been completed. Some were sold to investors to rent and some to owners for sole use or for a combination of rental and their own holiday use. Cedar Retreats provided a full management service for those choosing to rent and employed a team of 12 to look after the lodges.

He said that based on a spend of £13.50 per guest per day, he estimated the development was generating more than £1m of business in the local tourist economy.

The opening event was also attended by Geoff Cowley, managing director of Hoseasons Holidays, which manages some of the holiday rentals on the site.

He said the lodges’ satisfaction rating – 9.5 out of ten – with his customers was exceptional.