A proposed five-pitch caravan site in Rudford, near Highnam, will be required to cease operations after Forest of Dean District Council refused retrospective planning permission, citing concerns about road safety along the B4215.
The refusal follows a request by the owners, Mr and Mrs Light, who had already carried out groundworks on their 0.88-hectare field adjacent to their home, including reinstating an access track and creating porous pitches intended for Caravan and Motorhome Club members.
Representing the applicants, Ed Thomas of Tomkins Planning told council planners that the development did not require new access and would instead rely on the reinstatement of a long-existing gateway. He also said that the pitches themselves did not require planning permission, noting:
“We would stress that the use of land is not required to be included as part of the development as such use is ‘deemed’ to have been consented by the issuing of the Certificate by an exempted organisation in accordance with the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960.”
According to Punchline, he added that the planning application was only necessary for groundworks and continuation of the access track.
Thomas explained that the field was reached via a gateway from the main road and that access continued into the site to form “5 no. porous pitches for members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club; an exempted organisation within whose ambit permission can be granted via Certificate for caravan sites comprising no more than five pitches.”
A local resident urged the council to reject the application, citing hazards associated with the access point.
They stated: “I strongly object to the position of the access to the site, which is situated on a curve in the road where a considerable number of accidents (several of which have been fatal) have occurred over the years.”
The resident also disputed claims that the access existed in a functional form and provided photographs to the Highways Department, alleging the entry was defunct and that “work to the entrance has already been undertaken, including the repositioning of the chevron warning signs on the bend.” They added that manoeuvring large vehicles at that location “would be hazardous and impede the flow of general traffic.”
The plans, submitted by RRA Architects, described the entry as an “existing gated access,” and a site report suggested that the access appeared to have existed for more than 15 years, though overgrown until the recent works.
However, planning case officer William Dodsworth concluded that the reinstated access was unsuitable given the 50mph speed limit and the location on a severe bend with six roadway chevron signs, noting that the number of signs indicated the severity of the curve.
Dodsworth said that when the Caravan and Motorhome Club issued its exemption letter, the council had no indication that the redundant access would be used. He noted that the organisation could have used the existing access further north, located on a straighter, wider section of road.
A Highways Authority assessment also found that the proposal would “quite significantly” intensify use compared with a lightly used agricultural access and that emerging visibility for northbound traffic was unsafe.
The authority stated that, “Given the collision history along this stretch of the B4215 and the constrained nature of the access, the proposal fails to ensure safe and suitable access for all users,” adding that the access “does not create a place that is safe and increases the scope for conflicts between all road users at this location.”
The decision to refuse permission means the site must discontinue its use unless an appeal is successful. Mr and Mrs Light have until December 28 to submit an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
For outdoor hospitality operators, the case underscores the importance of thorough access assessments during early planning stages, a factor that can heavily influence approval outcomes even for small exempted sites.
Traffic movement, sight-line requirements, and local collision histories remain key considerations for any business planning to expand or establish new touring, caravan, or glamping facilities.