Plans are submitted for extra holiday cabins at village pub
ADDITIONAL holiday accommodation has been proposed at a pub in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
A planning application has been submitted to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council for the demolition of a Portakabin and for the construction of three holiday lodges at the Raddle Inn, Hollington.
A design and access statement submitted with the planning application on behalf of the applicant, Peter Wilkinson, said the proposal has been designed to maximise the topography of the land to provide a pleasant outlook for the visitors as well as to have a minimum impact on neighbouring users.
The statement said: “The area is predominantly agricultural with the exception of the quarry. The access onto the site will be widened if necessary to accommodate all vehicles using the site. Hollington currently has no similar facilities; i.e. no village shop; and is poorly served by public transport.
“The applicant was refused planning permission for a Wellbeing Centre, holiday chalets and holiday wigwam cabins on the basis that the development would result in an unsustainable form of development.
The applicant was refused planning permission for the installation of four timber clad holiday cabins on the basis of the impact on the Special Landscape Area.
“The applicant was also refused planning permission for the installation of six holiday wigwam cabins and utility block. This new application seeks to address these concerns.
“It should be noted the applicant believes that there was no objection on highways grounds to the previous application.”
The applicant owns the Raddle Public House which benefits from six timber clad cabins. He is keen to increase the tourism offer of the vicinity.
“The applicant reports that he has recently experienced an increase in demand for the existing chalets which he cannot fulfil. He is keen to develop this side of the business to support The Raddle, but also to provide additional employment and facilities in the village. The lack of a bus service in the village is a situation faced by many villages across North Staffordshire and this facility may have the opportunity to place demands on bus operators to provide a more regular service.”
It was stated that a number of other uses for the site had been considered.
The design and access statement said: “After careful consideration and research the applicant, who is keen to create additional tourist facilities in the area in line with the local tourism strategy of increasing overnight stays and to support the major tourist offer of the county, feels that the installation of a shop and three chalets will provide a sympathetic form of development which would be acceptable to the Local Planning Authority and to the landscape.
“The long term viability of public houses in locations such as Hollington is providing cause for concern as they offer a community focal point and their loss means that not only are buildings becoming vacant but local people lose employment and the village loses an amenity.”
The three chalets would be raised off the ground, ensuring continual ventilation of the building and eliminating durability problems.
The statement added: “The scale of the development is in keeping with the surrounding area. The chalets will be installed to make best use of the natural contours of the land which slopes gently from Quarry Bank down into the valley below.”
It is expected that a decision will be made by planners within the next eight weeks.