A farm that borders the Sharpness-Gloucester canal is seeking to boost its capacity to store caravans with new provision for 30 parking spots. 

And a sunny economic forecast suggests the move is timely.

Tanhouse Farm, at Frampton-on-Severn, already has a holiday facility registered with the Caravan Club, which allows for a maximum of up to five holidaymakers to stay at the picturesque tourism spot.

But the farm has asked Stroud District Council if it can now store an additional 30 caravans to boost its holiday-related income.

Applicant Mike Williams told planners: "The proposal is to gain permission for the application site to be used as a caravan storage site. Caravan storage has been present at the main farmyard for several years, but the construction of a new forestry barn means the area will no longer be able to be used for storage."

The farm's Caravan Club site offers coarse fishing and features waterside pitches, charging £15 per day's stay exclusively to members of the club. While storage costs are cheaper, it is estimated in the industry that the average UK yearly spend for secure parking now comes to around £500, or about £40 per month.

Data from Mintel meanwhile suggests the caravan sector is booming: the Pandemic pushed numbers of static caravans to record levels, according to the market researcher. Britons took 3.7m caravan holidays in 2019, but that rose to 4.3m in 2022.

Towed caravanning for "staycation" options are equally popular, driven by both the Pandemic and post-Brexit media reporting of border issues for foreign travel.

Camping and Caravanning Club figures in 2022 revealed bookings for its 100 sites were up 33% on the year before, while dealerships have struggled to meet demand from a growing number of under-40s who are looking to get hitched.

Interest in caravanning, says Auto Trader, is so great this summer that it's changing the kind of cars people want to buy.

Reporting a 68 percent increase in advert views on its motorhomes and caravan channels compared to before the pandemic, the auto sales site says the interest coincides with a massive spike in interest for used SUVs, which is up 27.6%, a trend that is underpinned by caravans and staycations.

According to NFU Mutual, planning bids for the caravan industry are proof of agriculture thinking on its feet. 

In 2021, a report on diversification predicted: "The number of farmers who diversify beyond traditional activities is likely to increase post-Brexit, following significant changes to agricultural support.

The report added: "Expect to see a boom in the provision of farm accommodation and hospitality in the coming months and years, as farmers offer the public an alternative to travelling overseas; to see some of the beautiful sights we have in the UK, whether that's a week away in the Highlands or a weekend down on the Cornish Coast."