A retrospective planning application has been submitted to the Lake District National Park Authority for a proposed five-pitch touring caravan and motorhome site at Hilltop Farm in St. John’s in the Vale, near Keswick, England, where groundworks have already been completed.
The application seeks permission to retain gravel hardstandings and operate up to five touring caravans, motorhomes, or campervans on the working farm. Supporting documents state that groundworks were completed on May 15 and water supply points have been installed, although the site has not yet opened to visitors.
The proposal also includes an additional hardstanding for daytime use, a separate turning area, and five electric hookup points that have yet to be installed. The applicant is seeking permission for year-round operation, with stays limited to short-term holidays.
According to the application, the project is intended to diversify the farm’s income without developing a larger holiday park. A supporting statement said: “The central planning point is simple: this is five touring units as modest farm diversification, not a holiday park.”
The applicant said the scheme would operate without a reception building, toilet or shower block, or external lighting. The limited facilities are presented as part of an approach that would allow the farm to accommodate touring visitors while keeping the development relatively small in scale.
The application also explains that the applicant proceeded with the work after the Caravan and Motorhome Club approved a five-pitch Certificated Location in October 2020. The applicant said the work had been undertaken ‘in good faith’ following that approval. The supporting documents also refer to backing from St. John’s Castlerigg and Wythburn Parish Council, while acknowledging that the club’s approval did not replace the requirement to obtain planning permission.
The proposed location uses the farm’s existing access from the B5322. An alternative hillside location previously discussed with the planning authority was considered unsuitable because of its steep gradient and the potential difficulties vehicles towing caravans could encounter, particularly in wet weather. The applicant describes the selected location as the holding’s ‘least-intervention practicable option’.
Landscape screening forms part of the proposal. The applicant has proposed new native hedges, trees, and wildflower planting to reduce the site’s visibility from the road. In correspondence with the planning authority on August 22, Keith Bell said the plans included planting ‘around 30 native trees’, alongside additional hedging and a wildflower border that had already been sown. The applicant estimates that the vegetation would substantially filter views from the road within five years.
According to News & Star, wastewater management is another element of the application. Chemical toilet waste and gray water would be collected in a sealed underground holding tank and removed by a licensed contractor, rather than discharged at the site.
For campground and RV park operators considering farm diversification, the proposal illustrates several operational and planning issues associated with adding a small number of touring pitches to an existing agricultural business. Reusing an established access, limiting permanent facilities, planning for landscape screening, and specifying waste disposal arrangements can help define a development’s potential impacts. However, the case also highlights the importance of securing the necessary planning approvals before construction, even when a separate industry organization has approved a proposed site.
The Lake District National Park Authority has not yet determined the application. Until a decision is issued, the proposed five-pitch site cannot be considered to have received the requested planning permission.
