A proposal to establish a small glamping site near Haughton, outside Bridgnorth, has been refused by Shropshire Council following a planning decision issued this month. The application, submitted at the end of 2025 on behalf of Mr and Mrs Tranter, sought permission to develop a tourism business at Overs Farm, a rural site that previously operated as a pig farm until 2000.
Planning documents indicated that the applicants were “keen to develop a tourism enterprise” and intended for the site to become part of the Wigwam Holidays franchise.
The proposal included the installation of five timber “wigwam cabins” designed to provide short-stay holiday accommodation. The application argued that the development would contribute to the local economy and address what was described as a lack of glamping options in the immediate area.
“Whilst there are several camping sites in the area, there are few ‘glamping’ sites; a phenomenon that is rapidly growing in popularity,” the application stated.
It added: “The proposed site aims to fill a gap in the market by providing further accommodation choice to visitors to Bridgnorth and the surrounding villages – thereby expanding the tourist accommodation offer as a whole.”
Despite these arguments, Shropshire Council’s planning department concluded that the site was unsuitable, primarily due to concerns about accessibility and sustainability. In a refusal decision, the council highlighted what it described as an “unacceptable reliance on private transport for visitors to travel to and from the site,” noting that the land lies within a “remote, open countryside location.”
The planning officer’s report stated: “The nearest recognised named settlements, Haughton and Tasley, are some distance away via narrow country lanes with no footpaths or street lighting, and this would create an uninviting environment for walking or cycling, which, when coupled with the absence of local public transport connections, renders the location inherently inaccessible for visitors.”
The report further concluded: “The development would not bring sufficient local, economic and community benefits as to maintain and enhance countryside vitality and character in this location.”
According to the Shropshire Star, the council also pointed to the presence of existing holiday accommodation in locations it considered more sustainable.
“Other holiday accommodation provision already exists in more sustainable and policy-compliant locations in the local area,” the officer added, while arguing that the proposed scheme would amount to “permanent and sporadic new built development that would be unacceptable in this rural location and would be harmful and unsustainable.”
For business owners and developers in the outdoor hospitality and glamping sectors, the decision highlights the ongoing importance of site selection, particularly in rural planning contexts.
Accessibility, proximity to settlements, and alignment with local transport and sustainability policies remain key considerations, even where market demand for glamping accommodation is acknowledged.
The case also illustrates how economic benefit arguments may be outweighed if a proposal is judged to conflict with countryside protection and planning policy objectives.
The full planning application can be viewed on Shropshire Council’s planning portal under reference number 25/04206/FUL.