Glamping pod plan approved in bid to boost Dales tourism
GLAMPING pods and lodges will be built in a Derbyshire village in a bid to boost sustainable tourism and “staycations”.
At a Derbyshire Dales District Council meeting on Tuesday, councillors approved plans to build seven glamping pods and four log cabins in a field and woodland off Nottingham Road, Tansley.
Mr and Mrs Wood, who submitted the application and have owned the site for seven years, also plan to accommodate up to 14 tents.
During the meeting, Richard Pigott, agent for the application, called the project a “highly sustainable development” within a few miles of the Peak District National Park. He said woodland would restrict the site’s visibility and there would be a limited impact on the area’s “rural character”.
Mr Pigott said: “The proposed development will improve the tourist accommodation offer in the area and bring significant economic benefits through increased local area spending, footfall and employment. This will directly benefit the local economy.”
He said the applicant’s supported the council’s “green agenda” and said the owners would look into how renewable energy could be used to power the site and that they would aim to make use of rainwater.
The plans say the seven glamping pods would be seven metres long, 3.2 metres wide and 3.4 metres tall, built out of timber with glass windows. Each would have a bathroom, bedroom and kitchen with a small decking area.
The log cabins would be one and a half stories tall, measuring 8.2 metres by 9.9 metres and can accommodate up to four people.
Each cabin would have two double bedrooms, one with an ensuite bathroom upstairs and one downstairs, with a separate bathroom and a sauna. There would also be a firstfloor balcony, and an open-plan kitchen, dining and living room area, along with a hot tub.
An all-terrain vehicle would transport customers from the car park up to the log cabins.
Sarah Arbon, a planning officer for the council, said two previous applications for 12 homes and caravan storage respectively were refused in 2016 and 2017, on highways grounds. She told the meeting Derbyshire County Council highways did not raise concerns over the glamping proposals.
Cllr Sue Burfoot said: “The log cabins are quite substantial and could be considered permanent homes. I am struggling with this one a bit, I and the parish council do have highways safety concerns. We need to be real and know people are going to use their cars, services in Tansley are very limited. You can’t buy a bottle of milk in Tansley.”
Ms Arbon said there would be a condition no-one would be allowed to stay at the site for more than six weeks overall across the year, and for no longer than three weeks at a time, with at least 28 days between stays.
Cllr Neil Buttle said the proposal for hot tubs in the log cabins didn’t strike him as “terribly sustainable”.
Ms Arbon said a condition could be attached requiring the site to make adaptations for climate change and to limit energy consumption, such as solar panels and ground source heat pumps.
Cllr Garry Purdy, leader of the council, said he was not convinced about access to the site and tracks leading up to the log cabins.
He said: “I am looking for a good reason for refusal but I can’t find one. I can imagine that kind of camp going very well and I can also imagine a scene at night where there is people with lots of drink and several barbecues are going, and you know that is a big issue in our council.
“That has got to be heavily managed by those in charge.”