Glamping plan at Shrewsbury vineyard

Hencote Winery has applied to Shropshire Council for permission to build the concierge Safari Lodge camping scheme on land just off Ellesmere Road in Shrewsbury.

Planning permission for the vineyard was granted last year despite opposition from local residents, walkers, and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

The proposals, submitted by local businessman Andrew Stevens, were for a multi-million pound winery, a visitors centre, a processing building, a production building and a restaurant and event space.

Now Mr Stevens plans to build the safari tents on a redundant grassland meadow, and a tree planting scheme is planned to screen the site from the nearest property.

A design statement prepared by KPG Associated has said that the impact on local and more distant environment will be 'negligible'.

"The very nature of the glamping development is that it can co-exist with the rural environment," it added.

"The structures are largely demountable and moveable. They are of low profile and mainly fabricated from natural materials. They are generally located discreetly using the natural landscape and planting to blend in with the local scenery.

"Further planting used to provide privacy and screening will further increase and enhance natural habitat for birds and hedgerow dwelling wildlife.

"All guests will park their own vehicles in the car park situated adjacent in the site, between the existing private road and new service road. It will be easy for guests to carry their luggage across the new service road by the purpose built, controlled pedestrian crossing."

The tents, which will be predominantly brown and green with en-suite bathrooms, will blend 'organically in to the surrounding natural environment' according to the plan.

The design statement adds: "The principal design philosophy behind the proposal is to provide a high quality safari lodge camping site that will harmoniously and organically be absorbed in to the natural environment in which it sits, whilst at the same time providing the guests/glampers with a tranquil and rewarding sojourn in considerable comfort and within a unique and varied rural setting."

The application will go before Shropshire Council's central planning committee at a date to be set.