Camping and glamping boom for Dorset

Dorset is experiencing a rush of applications for new campsites for staycation holidays.

And for the first time since the 1800s, the county is likely to have more shepherd’s huts than when countryside accommodation was needed for those tending flocks.

A rush of planning applications has included yurts, glamping pods, safari tents and tepees.

The bad news is that not all of them are likely to be decided within Dorset Council’s eight-week target.

Many of the applications have been for temporary sites and while most are small-scale will collectively add up to hundreds of additional spaces for people to sleep.

Some of the sites have no need to apply for formal planning permission if they are to be used for less than 56 days – doubled what it used to be after the Government relaxed the rules to help the economy recover from the pandemic.

Dorset Council says it currently has nine planning applications currently under consideration for camping or glamping sites across the Dorset Council area, which includes a mix of applications, with some being for temporary permission for the next few years, others for seasonal use over the summer period only.

“Our target timescales for determining these applications would usually be 8 weeks but we do unfortunately currently have delays in validating applications which are affecting our decision timescales,” said a spokesman.

Under current rules temporary use of land for camping generally has permitted development rights, so formal planning permission is often not required.

The council offers a fast-track business advice service and would encourage businesses to make use of this if they need prompt advice over planning requirements.