Glamping plans for farm refused by council

A plan to create new holiday lets on a farm was rejected by a council.

Planning officers said small-scale economic and tourism benefits from the scheme at Sytch Farm, Claverley, would not justify the "inappropriate" development on green belt land.

Applicant Oliver Holland said the three shepherds huts on the farm would bring visitors to the area and increase revenue for nearby businesses.

But Shropshire Council officers argued it would "harm the openness of the green belt".

Planning agents Rural Planning Co, acting on behalf of the applicant, claimed the huts would be legally defined as "caravans".

Cyclists, walkers and lovers of nature would want to use them and would spend money in local farm shops, pubs and restaurants as they would be self-catering, they added.

A small parking area was also proposed to provide three car parking spaces for the huts, which would have used an existing unclassified access road to the farm.

But in refusing the application, planning officers said the road was inappropriate and the overall scale of the scheme would constitute an unacceptable development on green belt land.

A spokesperson for the planning team said: "The shepherd huts and associated development would have a bulk and mass which would cause additional sprawl and built encroachment into the countryside, the spatial and visual effects of the development would harm the openness of the greenbelt.

"The proposed development would intensify the use of the existing access and as such would need to meet current highway standards.

"Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that a safe means of vehicle access can be achieved."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.