Planning challenges for camping pods and holiday lets.
Short staycations in the UK, particularly following Covid 19, have resulted in more rural property owners wishing to establish holiday lets on their property.
Shropshire, Mid Wales, and surrounding areas are very popular leisure areas.
The planning department at Halls has secured a number of planning consents for camping pods, including sites near Bishop's Castle in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and also in Mid Wales. Demand remains strong for novel accommodation types.
We are currently working on Hobbit Home applications in Shropshire and Mid Wales. Planning guidelines vary considerably between different authorities. Typically, demand is strongest in accessible, attractive rural areas.
To protect their beauty these areas sometimes have relatively tight criteria to comply with before securing consent. It is becoming increasingly important to prepare robust applications.
Katie Shoosmith is a chartered planning consultant at Halls
