A new proposal in Leicestershire outlines plans for a small-scale glamping and wellness facility aimed at enhancing rural tourism near the village of Cotesbach.
The application, submitted by Luke Jackson to Harborough District Council, seeks permission to convert existing paddocks on Main Street into a site featuring glamping pods, a wellness studio, and a therapy room.
According to planning documents, the 1.1-hectare site, located west of Cotesbach and historically used for horses, would be redeveloped to include a car park and five timber-built glamping pods, for which retrospective approval is also being sought.
Access to the property would be via an existing lane that doubles as the X28 bridleway, where cycling and walking are encouraged. The proposal includes dedicated cycle spaces within the site to support sustainable travel.
The wellness studio and therapy room would replace an existing stable block near a pond at the southern end of the property.
Both buildings are designed with timber cladding, and the wellness studio would have a south-facing roof to “enable the installation of PV panels, reducing the energy usage on-site.”
According to Leicestershire Live, landscaping improvements are also detailed in the proposal, including a native boundary hedge, ecological enhancements around the pond, and new gravel paths linking the buildings.
Documents submitted with the application note that a consultation event was held on August 11 at the Cotesbach village hall.
“The applications presented the scheme to the wider community of Cotesbach, including the head of the parish council, Ed Hunt,” the applicant stated. The applicant added that the proposals were “well received,” with most attendees making “very positive comments.”
The proposal emphasizes low occupancy to minimize noise impacts and notes that “the glamping pods are sited at the northern end of the field away from any existing residential properties.”
A road safety audit was conducted as part of the planning process, resulting in “minor alterations… to achieve an appropriately scaled access together with a slight reduction in camping spaces available on site.”
For operators and developers in the outdoor hospitality sector, the project highlights how small-scale, wellness-focused glamping ventures can diversify rural economies while integrating sustainable design.
The inclusion of renewable energy, ecological landscaping, and community engagement demonstrates how wellness tourism can align with both local planning objectives and growing consumer interest in low-impact rural experiences.