Appeal launched after plan to convert land into campsite was dismissed by Harborough District Council

The applicant has appealed to the Secretary of State

A dismissed plan to change a stretch of Leicestershire countryside into a campsite could still go ahead after an appeal was launched.

Applicant Mr N Ross submitted an application in August last year to change the use of farmland in Theddingworth Road in Mowsley to a holiday campsite.

He also wanted to change the on site stables to a shower and toilet block, install a cess tank, electric hook up points and convert an existing holiday home into site manager accommodation. The scheme would have 10 tent pitches and five areas allocated for caravan parking.

But the plan was rejected by planning officers at Harborough District Council in January meaning it would be illegal for the development to go ahead.

According to the decision notice, the council did not raise concerns with the idea of a campsite but had an issue about the proposed manager accomodation.

The report said: “The change of use of the building from holiday let to manager’s accommodation would create a permanent new dwelling in the countryside in an existing building which is neither redundant nor disused.” It added the proposed site “lies well outside Mowsley”, which would mean people would be reliant on using cars to “most day-to-day requirements”. Planning officers concluded this would result in the creation of a house in an “unsuitable location” and there is no “exceptional justification” for it there.

But the applicant has rallied against this and has launched an appeal to the secretary of state over the decision. This means a government planning inspectorate will make the final decision on whether or not the scheme should be permitted and has the ability to overturn the council’s decision.

In the appeal case document, the applicant has said the building would not be “materially different” from its current use as a holiday let and already has the “necessary facilities to function”. It also argued the development would not see the “creation of a new residential” building and labelled the refusal as “inaccurate”.

Latest statistics from the planning inspectorate show that the success rates of planning appeals have slightly risen in recent years to 30 per cent. Most appeals are handled in writing and government data suggests it takes around 18 weeks for a decision to be issued.