Hingham villagers object to outdoor woodland wedding venue
One objector described the surrounding area as “very quiet and genteel”
A bid to create a wedding venue with glamping tents for 120 people in South Norfolk has been met with a backlash from villagers.
Plans have been lodged with South Norfolk Council to create the site at The Gallops – a woodland area in Hingham run by a company called Norfolk Country Retreats.
Tents have already been installed while wedding celebrations hosted by a firm called Lavender and Wild have already taken place at the venue over the summer.
The new application is to get permanent permission for the events to continue.
The business says it will offer an environmentally friendly experience delivering no more than 20 weddings a year, with guests using compost toilets and ‘Kalahari-style’ bucket showers.
However, dozens of people have objected to the plans, including Hingham Parish Council.
"Doesn’t bear thinking about"
One objector described the surrounding area as “very quiet and genteel” and worried about the effect it would have on locals.
They said: “To have their peaceful existence taken away by potentially hundreds of people on up to a three-day events possibly every weekend in the summer doesn’t bear thinking about.”
Other concerns include the potential harm the venue will cause to the natural environment surrounding the site.
It is near a Site of Special Scientific Interest and people are worried the increased traffic could disturb wildlife and cause pollution.
This has prompted Natural England to wade in, stating that the plans for the site have the potential to have a harmful effect on the conservation area.
The application will now be considered by South Norfolk Council’s planning department before a decision is made in the coming months.