Shropshire Star

Glamping plans to go before committee again

The proposed expansion of a glamping site will be decided next week after the plans were scaled back.

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Shropshire Council's planning committee will assess the proposal

The owners of Hencote vineyard and winery, on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, want to grow the tourism side of the business by adding 20 more holiday lodges to the site, which already has 10 units.

Initial plans for 26 extra lodges were discussed by Shropshire Council’s northern planning committee at a meeting in December, when councillors said they wanted to refuse the application on the grounds of overdevelopment and the impact on the tranquil nature of the area.

But planning officers warned that using them as reasons for refusal would be difficult to defend if the applicant appealed to the planning inspectorate, and the committee instead voted to defer the application.

The applicants have since submitted amended plans, removing the six units considered to be the most visible from surrounding viewpoints.

A report to next week’s meeting by planning officer Jane Raymond says: “Since committee considered the matter, the case officer and two principal officers have visited the site and surrounding area along with the council’s landscape consultant.

“It was agreed during this site visit that the only lodges that might impact on views out from the site towards Shrewsbury (viewed from the public footpath along Hencote Lane) were the six proposed lodges referred to as ‘the collection’.

“It was also considered that these lodges would be sited in the most prominent of the three proposed locations representing development on the skyline when viewed from certain viewpoints.

“The applicant has therefore removed the ‘collection’ site from this application for change of use.

“The revised plans have been forwarded to the council’s landscape consultant who has provided an assessment of the impact of the 20 lodges now proposed.

“This assessment concludes that the overall effect on local visual amenity would be minor to negligible and that the overall effect on the landscape fabric and character would also be negligible.”

It was also highlighted by the applicants’ agent that the council’s draft local plan, expected to be adopted next year, allocates land south of the site for 450 houses, with the proposed North West Relief Road also to pass nearby.

Ms Raymond’s report adds: ” Given their current status, only limited weight can be given to either of these potential developments, however if they are approved then both would be expected to have far greater impact than 20 or 26 holiday lodges.”

The latest plans build on the existing business which includes a restaurant, winery, visitor centre, vineyard and the 10 existing glamping units.

The town council, civic society and unitary councillor for the Bagley ward objected to the plans, before they were amended, along with 10 members of the public. Two additional objections were received following the December meeting.

But Ms Raymond says the proposals would bring economic benefits to the area, and the 20 extra lodges would not represent overdevelopment of the 60-acre estate.

The committee will discuss the application again at a meeting on Tuesday, January 12.

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