A caravan and glamping pod site planned for a Leicestershire farm has been withdrawn amid "severe" highways impacts concerns. Applicant William Willett made the application for grazing land at The Paddocks, Bungalow Farm on Leicester Road in Earl Shilton last year.
The application, sent to Blaby District Council, included hard standing for 21 touring caravans and five glamping pods on the site covering 0.9 hectares. A further 26 car parking spaces were included in the plans.
However, not all were in favour of the plan, with Leicestershire County Council, acting as the Local Highway Authority (LHA), saying the impact of the development on the highway would be "severe". It also feared the scheme would result in a significant increase in the use of an access road onto the busy A47 - a location they said was where traffic speeds were "generally high", while turning manoeuvres "could lead to dangers" for drivers.
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The LHA concluded that the applicant had not demonstrated that a safe and suitable access road would be provided to and from the development. An earlier traffic survey carried out by the LHA and subsequent report included in the plans dated April 2024, noted the location was not considered to be of a speeding concern.
The site is situated within agricultural fields and the A47 separates the area from a strip of woodland which is situated to the north. Plans would have seen the farm incorporate a newly constructed shower/toilet block with "adequate facilities" for the proposed number of occupiers, according to developers.
A new sewage plant was also included in the proposal, and there were provisions for refuse storage and collection by a private contractor. Mr Willett said the proposed five glamping pods were to be supplied and erected on site by specialist manufacturers.
The plan was withdrawn earlier this month. The reasons behind the move are unclear, and it has yet to be established if the proposals will be resubmitted at a later date.
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