Permanent caravans at farm are 'appropriate' development in greenbelt, inspector rules

Permission has been granted for permanent caravans at a holiday park on greenbelt land in the south west of the Royal Borough, following a Government inspector’s ruling.

John Torrid Farm is already used as a holiday park for non-static caravans and is listed on the Caravan and Motorhome Club website as a four-star site.

The club’s website said: “The location is one of the most attractive points as the neighbouring towns include Windsor, Maidenhead, Ascot, Reading, Bracknell, Twyford and Wokingham.

Just short drives out and you could be enjoying sights such as Windsor Castle, Windsor Great Park, Legoland, Ascot Racecourse or maybe even some retail therapy at the Oracle Reading…”

The park put in its application for a change of land use to permit five permanent caravans to be set up in March 2024. It was refused by the council in August.

Planning officers said it was ‘inappropriate development in the greenbelt, harmful to the openness of the greenbelt and would fail to safeguard the countryside from encroachment’.

The refusal notice added: “The excessive hardstanding also adversely affects the spatial aspects of greenbelt openness and unduly encroaches upon the open countryside.

“No very special circumstances have been demonstrated to outweigh the substantial weight that must be given to this greenbelt harm.”

Part of the farm site has been the subject of an enforcement investigation by Shottesbrooke Parish Council over alleged ‘illegal storage of caravans/motorhomes and the erection of outbuildings’.

Planning documents on the appeal said this part of the site was located elsewhere on the farm and not ‘specifically related to this application’.

The caravan park disputed the council’s decision to refuse permission and sought to overturn the ruling in an appeal to the Government Planning Inspectorate.

Its statement of case concluded: ‘The proposed development is acceptable in principle and is not inappropriate development in the greenbelt’.

Additional documents were also provided, which included proposed designs for the five caravans.

Planning inspector G Sibley’s decision overturned the council’s refusal and said ‘the development would be an appropriate facility for outdoor recreation that preserves the openness of the greenbelt’.

“Caravans are already present on site and given their design, use, sporadic siting and modest scale are not out of character in this rural setting,” the inspector said.

“The proposed static caravans would likely be on site for a greater amount of time within the local landscape compared to the existing touring caravans.

“However, given that the sight of touring caravans in this location is already established, static caravans would not appear alien in this context.”

The inspector added: “The paraphernalia, including bins and recycling facilities, associated with the use on site would also be similar to that which would be expected with the touring caravans.

“Taking into consideration the above matters, the proposal would be unobtrusively located and would not appear prominent.”

Development was approved subject to a number of conditions, including that it take place within three years of the appeal decision.