PLANNING STATEMENT AND JUSTIFICATION REPORT

Transcription

1 PLANNING STATEMENT AND JUSTIFICATION REPORT PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO PLANNING PERMISSION 12/0648/PA THE RETENTION OF 6 YURTS AND THE REPLACEMENT OF 14 YURTS WITH 9 ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY UNITS, TOGETHER WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF TWO STATIC CARAVANS AND A STORAGE BUILDING WITH ONE OFFICE / RECEPTION & STORAGE BUILDING (Partly Retrospective) APPLE CAMPING, NORCHARD FARM, REDBERTH, TENBY, PEMBROKESHIRE, SA70 8RX DATE: 09 th January 2017 HAYS / 367 1

2 Head of Planning Pembrokeshire County Council County Hall Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire SA61 ITP Application for Planning Permission Town and Country Planning Act 1990 HAYSTON DEVELOPMENTS & PLANNING LTD is making an application on behalf of Mr T Rhys-Davies, trading as Apple Camping for the following planning permission: 1. Proposed amendments to planning approval 12/0648/PA for the retention of 6 yurts and the replacement of 14 yurts with 9 alternative holiday units, together with the replacement of two static caravans and a storage building with one office / reception & storage building (partly retrospective). 2. Site location : Land at Apple Camping, Norchard House, Redberth, Tenby, Pembrokeshire SA70 8RX 3. Type of Planning Permission : Full 4. Relevant LDP Policies: Policy SP 1, SP 5, SP16, GN 1, GN 16, GN 18, PPW Edition 8, Tan 13 and TAN 23. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Please find enclosed the following supporting information:- A copy of the planning application forms with associated Certificate of Ownership Planning Statement & Justification Report (this document) Drawing P01 - Location Plan, Scale 1:2500 Drawing P02A Proposed Block Plan, Scale 1:500 Drawing P03A - Proposed Block Plan, Scale 1:250 Drawing P04 Proposed Floor Layout Plan for new Reception Office / Storage Building. Scale 1:100 Drawing P05 - Proposed Elevations for Reception Office / Storage Building, Scale 1:100 Drawing P06 - Typical Bell Tent Details, Units 1 & 2, Scale N.T.S Drawings P07 & P08 - Typical Yurt Detail Floor Plan Layout (Scale N.T.S) & Elevation (Scale 1:50), Units 3.9 &10, Drawing P09 - Typical Geodesic Dome Details, Units 7 & 11, Scale N.T.S Drawing P10 - Jet Star Accommodation Details, Unit 8, Scale 1:100 2

3 Drawing P11 - Spaceship Unit Details, Unit 4, Scale N.T.S Drawing P12 - Hobbit House Unit Details, Units 5 & 6, Scale N.T.S Drawing P13 - Retro Style Caravan Details, Unit 12, Scale N.T.S Appendix A Design & Access Statement Appendix B Pre-Application Consultation Report (PAC) to be completed Planning Fee (based on floor area 223m for each 75m 2 ) 1.2 This report is prepared in accordance with the requirements of Policies contained within the Local Development Plan for Pembrokeshire (adopted 28 th February 2013), SPG Requirements for the Validation of Planning Applications (June 2010) and the Welsh Government Circular 002/12 on Guidance for Local Planning Authorities on the Use of The Standard Application Form and Validation of Applications April LOCATION AND PLANNING HISTORY Aerial Photograph of the site (source: Bing Maps) showing work having commenced on site with access road constructed and existing meet and greet caravans in place 3

4 2.1 Norchard Farm (applicants house) comprises of a 14 th Century farmhouse and a 1.24ha former orchard to the north of the minor county road leading from Redberth to Jeffreyston/Cresselly and a further 0.9ha parcel to the south of the minor road located approximately 250m north east of the village of Redberth. There is an existing store building on this smaller paddock. To the south east is a bungalow, Ashford, where there is a Camping and Caravan Club Certified Site within its grounds. Street-scene view of Norchard Farm (Source: Google Maps) 2.2 A planning application (Ref 12/0648/PA) was submitted in October 2012 for the change of use of the two fields for 20 yurts, a new facility building and ancillary works. It was referred to the Council s Planning and Rights of Way Committee on 8 th January 2013 for consideration. At that meeting members considered the proposal was well related to the settlement of Redberth and consequently resolved to grant permission for the development. 2.3 The site was developed over a two year period with the construction of the facility building, bases for several of the yurts, static caravan for meet and greet facility, bicycle /maintenance storage buildings and internal pathways and parking areas. Works were completed by the spring of 2015 and the first guests arrived in mid-may. During the 2015 and 2016 the site has proven to be a very popular destination for tourists and a high occupancy rate has been achieved. Approximately 200,000 has been invested into the business since it started which demonstrates the commitment and intent to develop a successful but also quality tourist facility. 4

5 Screenshot of the Apple Camping Website Home Page One of the existing caravans used as a meet and greet reception area 5

6 The existing facility building with toilet facilities The existing Yurt accommodation 6

7 3.0 THE PROPOSAL The existing Jet Star accommodation 3.1 During the last two years the applicant has had considerable feedback from the guests and now has a much clearer idea of their expectations and needs for an enjoyable stay in Pembrokeshire. In essence the guests considered the most important facility needed on site would be an on-site communal all weather indoor facility with a games room. The guests also noted that yurts and glamping opportunities are developing fast in Pembrokeshire and another site devoted entirely to additional yurts would not be as unique an experience as they had first hoped. There was also negative feedback about the existing meet and greet reception area located in the static caravan along the western boundary. 3.2 As indicated previously 200,000 has already been invested into developing and growing the site and a future spend of 250,000 is planned to develop the site in line with the proposals within this current application. It is the intention not just to offer a quality camping facility in Pembrokeshire but to offer a truly unique place to stay in the UK. 3.3 In view of the feedback from customers the client proposes to upgrade the facilities on site, provide a new reception office building with games room and storage area, provide a variety of accommodation units and reduce the overall density from 20 to 15 within the approved area. The proposal details are as follows:- 7

8 a) A new one and a half storey L shaped reception building with a games room at ground floor level and office/storage rooms within the roofspace (Drawings P02 to 05). This building will be located in the paddock to the south of the minor county road, will replace an existing agricultural type storage building and will be built into the shallow sloping land with surplus excavated material used to construct a landscaped earth bank surrounding the building. The building will be constructed in a combination of rendered blockwork and horizontal timber cladding under a blue/black tiled roof. A new septic tank and associated drainage field will be located to the south with surface water disposed via soakaways. The existing access will be adapted and improved in width leading to a new surfaced carpark. The design draws on themes of agricultural type outbuilding / coachhouse with a contemporary twist. This type of form is typical in the countryside and relates well to the scale and form of the Norchard Farm House nearby. This building removes and replaces the more alien and unsympathetic static caravans and storage shed. Extract from Drawing 05 showing the north elevation of the new reception office / storage building 8

9 Extract from Drawing 05 showing the south elevation of the new reception office / storage building b) To retain Pitches 3, 9 and 10 as yurts (as built) as previously approved and will be erected on raised timber decking (Drawings P07 and P08). These yurts fall within the legal definition of a tent and are therefore temporary structures. Three yurts are relocated to the eastern field adjacent to the new meet and greet building (i.e. reception office / storage building). c) Two bell tents on Pitches 1 and 2 (Drawing P06). d) Two Geodesic Dome pods on Pitches 7 and 11 will be erected on raised timber decking. e) The retention of a former private jet airplane located in the north western corner on Pitch 8. This was brought onto site earlier this year and has been converted to provide unique accommodation for guests. The Jetstar is a first class plane that would have carried up to nine passengers. Built in the seventies it retains a most of the original features including a lit up bar area. At the back is a double bedroom in the style of a first class ships cabin and there is a toilet and cold water basin on board the plane and the cockpit has an xbox with some flight games. There is a well-equipped shower block on site with hot showers and fridges. The plane is on a cradle on wheels, and has the potential to be moved, and the back cabin is on adjustable stilts. It should be noted that the provision of this holiday accommodation has already been widely publicised in the local and national press. Amongst others, appearing in The Times, The Mirror, The Sun and the homepage of BBC nationally. Hence an extremely good tourist attraction and advert for visiting Pembrokeshire. 9

10 Photograph of the Jet Star f) A fibreglass spaceship pod on Pitch 4 (Drawing P11). This will be placed on top of a lattice work metal base and will be a movable structure. Extract from Drawing P11 showing a 3d view of the spaceship unit g) Two Hobbit House pods on Pitches 5 and 6 (drawing P12) located in the area currently occupied by the reception structure. They will be constructed in timber with a domed grassed roof on a timber base. These pods will be moveable structures and sit on a timber base which will not be permanently affixed to the ground and will therefore fall under the definition of a tent. 10

11 Extract from Drawing P12 showing hobbit house type units and an illustrative drawing h) The stationing of a retro style touring caravan on Pitch 12 adjacent to the existing storage building (Drawing P13). Extract from Drawing P13 showing the retro style caravan i) To extend the season for the occupation of the Jet Star, Hobbit Pods, Geodesic Domes, Spaceship and Retro Caravan to allow occupancy throughout the year currently restricted by condition 3 of the planning permission. 11

12 j) To reduce the density of development from 20 to 15 units and provide extensive additional planting to supplement the existing tree planting areas and peripheral trees/hedging and to delineate each of the pitches to provide improved privacy. Visitors come to Pembrokeshire for the landscape and tranquillity it offers and therefore it is important that the site too offers this, so which ever accommodation unit they choose they have privacy and are integrated into the landscape / environmental setting. Extract from Drawing P02A showing the Proposed Block Plan 4.0 CURRENT PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The relevant policies identified are: - Policy SP 1, SP 5, SP16, GN 1, GN 16 and GN In determining the principle planning application for the establishment of the camping site and associated facilities the Local Planning Authority considered the location was sustainable being within close proximity to the village of Redberth. It was further agreed that the development of the site would not have a detrimental impact on the surrounding landscape or highway safety. 12

13 4.3 Policy GN 18 aims to guide the development of new or existing touring caravan and tent sites. However, this policy is silent in respect of proposals to reduce the number of pitches available. The current proposal is to reduce the density of the development from 20 to 15 units and, importantly, to provide alternative accommodation to distinguish the camp site from others in this part of Pembrokeshire and to enhance the visitor experience. The client has carried out significant research and is firmly of the opinion that to provide a successful and profitable tourist facility it is necessary to adapt to current trends and to provide unique facilities and accommodation. 4.4 It is still proposed to retain three yurts and relocate three others but also provide two bell tents, two geodesic domes, a spaceship and two hobbit houses all of which are removable structures and fall within the general definition of a tent. The Jet Star and the Retro Caravan are more permanent accommodation units (but have the potential to moved) however, they are unobtrusively located within the former orchard with the airplane in the northwest corner well screened by trees and hedging with the caravan adjacent to the facility building with trees and hedging behind. Overall more than 85% of the accommodation will remain as tents. Paragraph 6.77 of Policy GN 18 aims to promote tourist facilities which give visitors an outstanding experience whilst minimising any potential adverse impacts on the surrounding landscape. Paragraph 6.82, whilst referring to proposals to increase pitches, does acknowledge that some pitches can be changed to accommodate a range of accommodation types for visitors. 4.5 To achieve a reasonable economic return on the substantial investment (i.e. 250,000) the client seeks permission to allow the more luxurious accommodation, the Jet Star and the Retro Caravan, to be available to accommodate guests throughout the year. The airplane has proven to be a very popular addition with many bookings already in place for the 2017 season. As this will require the facility block to remain open it is reasonable to allow the two Hobbit pods, the two geodesic domes and the spaceship to remain open also. The provision of year round accommodation is supported in the Pembrokeshire Destination Management Plan as one of the main objectives is to improve the quality of experience in getting visitors to return. Central to this is the availability of high quality tourism enterprises and facilities open all year. This support is also repeated in the South West Wales Regional Tourism Strategy and PPW (Edition 8). Finally supportive Policy also comes from TAN 23 (Economic Development) and TAN 13 (Tourism). 4.6 With regards to the impact local amenity the proposed new reception/office store and games room has been designed as a traditional rural building in recessive materials and built into the shallow gradients of the paddock and substantial 13

14 additional landscaping is proposed to lessen the impact of the building within the landscape. This new building is an important new facility to replace the existing reception area in the static caravans and to provide all weather facilities demanded by the visitors to the campsite to maximise their enjoyment whilst in Pembrokeshire. The proposal to reduce the number of accommodation units to 15 will provide a much more convivial atmosphere for the guests and more privacy will be provided by substantial planting and screening around each pitch. The retention of the airplane, caravan and the other more substantial pods for accommodation throughout the year will not be significantly visible within the landscape as they are low impact structures and in view of the substantial amount of additional planting and landscaping proposed. The client is currently negotiating with Western Power to remove all the overhead cables and replace them with underground cables. 4.7 The reduction in the number of accommodation units will lead to reduction in overall traffic generation. The existing access into the northern paddock will be adapted and improved to ensure safe ingress and egress. The footways linking both sites will also be improved and ample on site car parking will be available on both sites. The surrounding area is criss-crossed by a number of public footpaths which will encourage guests to use. 4.8 Expansion of the site will also create employment opportunities for local people within the development phase and long term operation. Cleaners and groundsmen will be needed as well as a dedicated Site Manager (anticipated to be 2017/2018) when the accommodation units become established. PRECEDENT CASE IN PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL 4.9 This practice was involved in obtaining planning permission in May 2014 (Ref 12/1105/PA) for 33 log cabins and 16 yurts at Heatherton World of Activities. A nonmaterial amendment application (Ref 15/1105/NM) was submitted in April 2015 to substitute five of the approved yurts with five Hobbit House Pods. The justification for the change was to provide a higher quality type of accommodation than offered in a yurt and to compete with other camping providers. In agreeing to the amendment on 8 th May 2016 the Local Planning Authority considered the scale and nature of the proposal and their impact on the landscape would not be significantly different than the approved development. It is considered that this conclusion will also apply to the current proposal. 14

15 Illustrative example of a Hobbit Pod Submitted as part of Application Aerial photograph from 2014 of yurts at Heatherton submitted as part of Heatherton Application 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 The client has invested approximately 200,000 in developing and marketing Apple Camping over the last four years and now has a strong client base. To continue with this success it is necessary to adapt to current trends to have a competitive edge over other camping providers. During the last two years the applicant has had considerable feedback from the guests and now has a much 15

16 clearer idea of their expectations and needs for an enjoyable stay in Pembrokeshire. In essence the guests require an on-site communal all weather indoor facility with a games room. The guests also noted that yurts and glamping opportunities are developing fast in Pembrokeshire and another site devoted entirely too additional yurts would not be as unique an experience as they had first hoped. There was also negative feedback about the existing meet and greet reception area located in the static caravan along the western boundary. 5.2 As a consequence the client intends to reduce the overall density of the campsite and to introduce a variety of accommodation units to meet the client s demands. These range from basic bell tents, the retention of some of the approved yurts and more luxurious accommodation in the Hobbit Houses and Geodesic Domes. Three unique accommodation units are also proposed in the converted private airplane, a new spaceship structure and a retro style touring caravan. All these are low level structures and are no more intrusive in the landscape than the approved scheme. 5.3 The current reception area does not portray the right type of welcoming to guests. A purpose built reception building containing an office, games room and storage facility will provide all weather facilities for guest and will enhance the guest s experience of the campsite. This building has been designed and located to have minimal impact on the landscape. 5.4 To achieve a reasonable economic return on this further investment, which is estimated at being approximately 250,000, the client considers it appropriate to allow the more luxurious and accommodation units (i.e. the Jet Star and Retro Caravan) to be open to guests throughout the year. As this will require the facility block to remain open it is reasonable to allow the two Hobbit pods, the two geodesic domes and the spaceship to remain open also. The provision of year round accommodation is supported in the Pembrokeshire Destination Management Plan as one of the main objectives is to improve the quality of experience in getting visitors to return. Central to this is the availability of high quality tourism enterprises and facilities open all year. This support is also repeated in the South West Wales Regional Tourism Strategy and PPW (Edition 8). Finally supportive Policy also comes from TAN 23 (Economic Development) and TAN 13 (Tourism). There is clearly a demand for this type of accommodation which will contribute to one of the Council s aims to extend the tourist season into the winter months. 5.5 It is the client s intention not just to offer a quality camping facility in Pembrokeshire but to offer a truly unique place to stay in the UK. This subsequently will attract more people to Pembrokeshire and support the 16

17 The proposal is in accordance with LDP Policies SP 1, SP16, GN1, GN16 and GN 18 together with advice in Planning Policy Wales, various Technical Advice Notes (TANs) The Pembrokeshire Destination Management Plan and the South West Wales Tourism Strategy. If any further information is required please do not hesitate to contact Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd. REPORT PREPARED BY CHRIS WILLIAMS Dip TP MRTPI SENIOR PLANNER REPORT REVIEWED BY ANDREW VAUGHAN-HARRIES BSc (HONS) Dip TP MRTPI DIRECTOR/PRINCIPAL PLANNER 17