Councillors at Powys County Council are due to consider plans to expand a caravan park near Hay on Wye, known as the world’s first book town.
The planning committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 15, where members will review an application by James Lloyd-Jones of Hillandale Caravan Parks to add 21 static caravan pitches at Borders Hideaway Holiday Park in Clyro. The proposal also includes vehicle tracks, a package treatment plant, and a drainage field.
The application, submitted in October 2024, is a scaled-down version of a previous proposal made in April 2024 and withdrawn in July 2024.
Borders Hideaway currently accommodates 48 static caravans, 18 touring caravan pitches, 18 seasonal caravan pitches, a house, and an amenity block. The field under consideration has planning permission for temporary tent pitches for 28 days annually, from March 1 to October 31.
According to Nation.Cymru, the plans have prompted objections from local residents and Clyro Community Council, with 14 formal objections submitted to the council. Concerns cited include “inadequate parking and public transport provision” and potential increases in flooding, traffic, and pollution.
Clyro Community Council stated: “After due consideration of the re-application and listening to local residents, of which there is much opposition, the council finds unanimously that this application is not sufficiently different from the first application.”
The council also argued that the development would be “contrary” to several policies in the Powys Local Development Plan and could “detract from the overall character and appearance of the area” while having “an unacceptable adverse effect on the valued characteristics and qualities of the landscape.”
The application has been called in for committee review by local county councillor Cllr James Gibson-Watt, who cited the site’s “highly sensitive and prominent location, planning history of the site and the location of the site, on a steep slope above a brook within the River Wye SAC (Special Area of Conservation).”
The applicant has stated that the expansion is intended to grow the business, safeguard existing jobs, and support the local economy.
Planning agents Berry’s said: “It is considered that the proposed layout and planting features, plus existing management of the site, will ensure that the holiday park can continue to operate in harmony with neighbouring residents. The proposal is of a moderate scale, which would not generate unacceptable levels of traffic and includes a minimum of one parking space per static caravan.”
Documents indicate that prior permission for tent pitches, granted in 2020, established the principle that the site can be used for overnight holiday accommodation. At the upcoming meeting, principal planning officer Richard Edwards is expected to recommend approval of the proposal.
For industry professionals, the case highlights the balance between expanding outdoor accommodation offerings and navigating local planning sensitivities, particularly near protected environmental sites.
It also underscores the potential need for caravan and glamping operators to engage with communities early in planning processes to address infrastructure and environmental concerns.