York glamping site expansion plans rejected

A glamping site's plans to expand have been rejected by a government inspector.

York Holiday and Cycle Stop had wanted to turn a vacant field, on the outskirts of York, into a 25-pitch mobile caravan park.

The owner's initial plans were rejected by the City of York Council due to the impact on the green belt around the village of Holtby.

He appealed, but the inspector upheld the council's decision.

The existing York Holiday and Cycle Stop site features accommodation in the form of eco-pods, with accompanying secure cycle storage and other facilities for cyclists.

Owner Trevor Smith said in his original application the growth in the popularity of motor homes meant the proposed new site would "build on and sustain our existing business".

"That is what we did in 2014 when we diversified into glamping," he said.

"At that point glamping wasn't even a term, now it is a part of the English language, and it has been very successful both for us and in terms of bringing the tens of thousands of guests who have stayed with us to York."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, planning inspector Paul Martinson agreed with the council's decision to reject the proposal due to the impact on the surrounding countryside.

"The proposed development would lead to a significant reduction of openness compared to the existing situation and would conflict with the fundamental aim of keeping land permanently open," he said.

"As a result, I am not convinced that this could be satisfactorily mitigated by the landscaping proposed, which consists primarily of enhancing the existing hedgerow boundaries."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].