Plans to retain a residential caravan at a luxury eco-glamping site in Llanwnnen have been approved by Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, despite planning officers recommending refusal.
The decision was made during the council’s October meeting, where retrospective permission was sought to allow the caravan to remain on-site for three years at the Oakvale glamping site.
Council officers had recommended refusal, stating that “the scale and nature of the glamping enterprise did not warrant permanent or temporary on-site residential accommodation.”
The officers’ report also noted that “the continued presence of a caravan on site for residential accommodation does not support the delivery of placemaking principles which seek to secure high quality design and sustainable development that respects local context and contributes positively to the environment.”
However, the application was referred to the committee at the request of local councilor Euros Davies. He said the owners required the caravan to oversee the ongoing development of new yurt units and to ensure safety for guests and contractors during construction.
“These applicants are not trying to abuse the system, they just want time to make an honest go of their project,” Cllr Davies told Cambrian News.
He added that the project is important to the local economy and should be supported to give the new owners “the opportunity to give this project its best shot to continue with its progress and to expand.”
During the meeting, members were told that the applicants had purchased “a moribund and inactive business” which had since been revived into a “top-end luxury holidays with real high level of guest support” site.
The site has reportedly “already become a destination site,” bringing a “year-round benefit to the Ceredigion economy,” with exceptional guest reviews.
For business owners in the outdoor hospitality industry, the decision highlights the growing role of local planning committees in balancing development principles with economic revitalization in rural tourism.
It also illustrates how operators can navigate local governance processes to secure temporary measures that support business continuity and site development while aligning with broader sustainability goals.