Inspector orders pub to stop running ‘unlawful’ campsite
A DERBYSHIRE pub will no longer be allowed to run its campsite after a decision from a Government planning inspector.
An investigation sparked by complaints and Derbyshire Dales District Council says it found that the Square and Compass Inn, in Main Road, Darley Dale, did not have a license, or exemption certificate, for its adjacent campsite.
It claimed the venue was operating the site “unlawfully” and had been doing so since 2011. The authority says it had “no choice” but to issue an enforcement notice in November, seeking to “permanently” stop the camping site.
Frederic Robinson Ltd, on behalf of the pub, lodged an appeal in a bid to save the campsite.
However, Jason Whitfield, a Government planning inspector, has upheld the council’s enforcement notice. He has removed the word “permanently” from the enforcement notice, because the venue is allowed to apply for planning permission and a site licence.
The pub will not be able to operate its campsite until it applies for and is granted an exemption notice or planning permission.
It must stop using the site for camping or caravans within three months – by October 20, Mr Whit
field found that while the site did not present a harmful intrusion in the countryside, it did represent a potential disturbance to nearby residents.
His report details that the district council took enforcement action on the campsite nine years after a breach had occurred with planning and licensing off the site, when the pub was operated by a different tenant - but still under Robinsons brewery.
If the campsite had been run for 10 or more years without disruption, the council would not be able to enforce the site’s closure.
The brewery had been operating the campsite since at least 2008, it proved through letters presented to the appeal inquiry.
The council told the inquiry that there have been noise complaints in 2019 about the caravan site, but did not provide details as to how many complaints were made, or how often and from what sources.
Mr Whitfield wrote: “Nevertheless, the size of the site, particularly when the area of land to the south-eastern corner of the site is taken into account, is particularly large and its proximity to the properties on Main Road is reasonably close at its nearest point.
“Consequently, its use for camping and caravanning could result in significant levels of noise and disturbance arising from music, vehicle engines, loud voices and smoke from fires or barbecues.
“The development will have a harmful effect on the living conditions of nearby residents with particular regard to noise and disturbance.”
Frederic Robinson Ltd and the Square and Compass Inn have been approached for comment.
A Derbyshire Dales District Council spokesperson wrote: “On investigation we found that the previous tenants had given up their exemption certificate from a caravan and camping club way back in 2011 and that the site was therefore operating unlawfully.
“The council then had no choice but to serve an enforcement notice. This decision does not, however, prohibit the brewery from being able to apply for an exemption certificate again for a five van and tent licence or applying for planning permission for a reduced site if they consider that the noise and landscape issues can be addressed.”