A revised planning application for two glamping holiday pods at a working cattle farm in Ceredigion has been refused for a second time, with county planners citing long-standing restrictions on new permanent tourist accommodation in the coastal zone.
The proposal was submitted by Huw Jones as part of a farm diversification scheme at Bryn Farm, Y Ferwig, near Cardigan. The application sought permission to site two glamping pods on land already hosting an existing caravan.
The site falls within Ceredigion’s designated coastal area, where the Local Development Plan (LDP) restricts the development of new static caravans and chalets, instead prioritising touring caravan pitches.
Ceredigion Council officers assessed the revised submission against policy LU14 of the LDP, which underpins the coastal accommodation embargo. A previous planning report referenced by the authority explains the rationale for the policy, stating:
“The reason for the embargo is that the provision of static caravans is already high in the ‘coastal area’, both in terms of overall numbers and as a proportion of accommodation type. The intention of the embargo is to prevent static caravans from overly dominating the accommodation provision in the area.”
According to an officer’s report recommending refusal, the site had already been subject to a rejected application for similar development.
“The application site has previously seen the refusal of an application seeking authorisation for the emplacement of what the applicant referred to as two ‘glamping pods’ replacing the extant caravan which was ultimately refused on the grounds that their degree of permanency would be contrary to the embargo on chalets in the coastal area of Ceredigion established via LDP policy LU14,” the report stated.
That earlier refusal also cited the proposed loss of hedgerow to create a new access point.
While the latest submission included a hedgerow translocation plan intended to address ecological and access concerns, planning officers concluded that the core policy issue remained unchanged.
According to WalesOnline, the authority noted that the revised proposal “differs from the previously-received [scheme] only by way of the submission of a hedgerow translocation statement/plan.”
Officials reiterated that “owing to the large size of both proposed units and need for significant hard standing” the structures would be considered permanent in nature and “more akin to chalets rather than glamping units.” As a result, the development was assessed as conflicting with coastal planning policy west of the A487 trunk road.
The report concluded: “The proposal therefore remains of an unacceptable principle and is recommended for refusal.” The application was subsequently rejected due to the continuing ban on new permanent tourist accommodation in Ceredigion’s coastal areas.
For outdoor hospitality operators and landowners, the decision highlights the importance of understanding how local authorities classify glamping structures, particularly in coastal or environmentally sensitive regions.