Controversial campsite plans for west Cornwall beauty spot are rejected
The proposals triggered over 160 complaints
A family’s controversial plans to create a private campsite in a protected area of Cornwall have been thrown out by planners. Two families from Shropshire had applied for planning permission to create a campsite they could use in Treen, overlooking Pednvounder Beach.
They wanted to use the site for two tents, two caravans and a parking area with the application part retrospective as some works to install facilities had already been carried out without planning permission.
However the application attracted more than 160 comments from members of the public who were outraged by the proposals. They pointed to the fact that the site is within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a designation which protects it against unsuitable development.
This week Cornwall Council planning officers published their decision on the application saying that they would refuse it.
In their decision they highlighted the large number of public objections as well as objections from St Levan Parish Council, the National Trust and the Cornwall AONB unit.
The parish council had said: “The site and already positioned caravan and mobile home are clearly visible from the surrounding area and the suggestion of screening the site with trees shows a clear misunderstanding of the local landscape which contains very few trees within a mixture of low Cornish hedges.
“The application site infringes on the AONB and would destroy the local landscape. To allow this application would set a precedent for others to purchase a piece of land in this type of area and apply to construct a property.”
In refusing the application planning officers gave the following reason: “The proposal would result in the creation of new tourist accommodation on a greenfield site in the countryside. It would not involve the expansion of existing, well-established tourist accommodation. The site is not considered to be in a sustainable location in respect of public transport accessibility.
“The presence of caravans, tents, access track and associated paraphernalia would result in undesirable and uncharacteristic levels of domestication. This would be to the detriment of the unspoilt open undeveloped character and wild nature of the greenfield site in the open countryside which is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coast landscape thereby failing to conserve and enhance the designated landscape.”
The applicants have the right to appeal against the decision and Cornwall Council could take enforcement action against the applicants for the work which has already been undertaken.