Town council objects to glamping site
By Sarah Wood | 17th January 2025
A small glamping site looks set to be given the go-ahead next week, despite objections from the town council.
Stay Wild has applied to Tewkesbury Borough Council for permission to site four small glamping units for short-term holiday accommodation on its land on the outskirts of Winchcombe.
Winchcombe Town Council said it objects because: "The proposed development would have an undesirable impact on the nationally designated landscape; and in particular - the enlargement and alterations to the track going up the hill to provide passing points, and a new (albeit small) car park in the open countryside, will create an undesirable adverse impact on a currently, relatively accessible part of the designated landscape which is the outstanding setting of our town."

But planning officers are recommending Tewkesbury Borough Council's Planning Committee gives the glamping units the green light at its meeting on Tuesday (January 21).
And the town council's view is at odds with the Winchcombe and Sudeley Neighbourhood Plan 2011-2031, which states that strong support will be given to proposals which provide new accommodation to meet the needs of visitors to Winchcombe.
The design and access statement to support the planning application, provided by Zesta Planning, said the business: " ...wishes to provide a sustainable eco tourist facility, seeking rural and authentic escape to the Cotswolds. It is hoped that the business will complement the other well established tourist facilities in the area."
In the report to the committee, planning officers said: "The application proposal is for a very small-scale holiday accommodation scheme with a total of four glamping units providing a maximum of eight people (two in each unit), with no capacity on the site for large groups likely to generate loud noise."
The proposed pods will be located on the four corners of a wildflower meadow - 1.9ha of undeveloped agricultural land 500m outside Winchcombe. The land is owned by Stay Wild, which also owns the adjoining parcel of land, including a vineyard and orchard.
The proposed pods would be 3.9m in height and 3.5m in width. They would include their own toilet, shower and cooking facilities as well as a bedroom and living space, meaning there is no need for a separate shared building on the site.

There would be no external lights on the units or across the site. Each pod would have a skylight to allow for natural light, with no glazing on the windows or doors to reduce light spill, helping them to sensitively integrate into the Cotswold National Landscape.
The report concluded: "It is considered that the scheme would result in a high-quality development which would have an acceptable impact on neighbouring amenity, the landscape character of the area and would comply with relevant policies in the plan. It is therefore recommended that the application be permitted."
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