East Suffolk Council has rejected a proposal to develop a glamping site in Reydon, near Southwold, citing concerns over flood risk, landscape character, and planning policy.
The application, submitted in May by Tennoc Limited on behalf of Conrad Developments Limited, sought permission to change the use of land adjacent to 70 Lowestoft Road to accommodate nine executive glamping pods and one office or administration pod.
According to The Lowestoft Journal, plans also included access tracks, parking, a new footpath, and highway improvements.
The application was refused on September 1 under delegated powers. According to the council’s case officer report, the proposal was “considered to contradict” local plan policies and national planning guidance, particularly regarding flood risk and the impact on the area’s landscape.
The report noted: “Overall, the proposal is not sensitive to the existing characteristics of the area, and the scale of the infrastructure is inappropriate in this sensitive setting.”
A planning statement submitted by Hardy Planners in support of the proposal argued that the scheme represented a “small-scale tourism development” that would be well integrated into its surroundings.
“It is within a field surrounded by trees and ideally suited for a tourism use in this beautiful setting,” the statement said, adding that the design included “ample amenity space for tourists using the glamping pods.”
The Environment Agency and Reydon Parish Council objected to the plans, as did four residents who raised concerns about the development’s impact.
The delegated report highlighted that part of the site lies within an area at risk of tidal flooding, and warned that the project would have “an urbanizing effect on this highly valued landscape area and would erode the important relationship between nearby settlements and their landscape settings.”
For business owners in the outdoor hospitality sector, the decision underscores the growing importance of aligning new tourism accommodation proposals with both local planning frameworks and environmental considerations.
Developers and operators aiming to expand into glamping or other forms of alternative accommodation may need to demonstrate not only economic benefit but also compliance with flood risk assessments, landscape protections, and community sentiment to secure approval.