Plans to significantly expand a caravan park on the Shropshire–Wales border have been refused by Shropshire Council after planning officers identified what they described as major inconsistencies within the application documents.
The proposal concerned Willenhall Way Caravan Park at Corner Farm in Welshampton, where applicants Mr. and Mrs. Roger and Lin Edwards sought permission to more than double the scale of the existing site.
The application included plans for 25 additional hardstanding caravan pitches, 13 grass tent pitches, a dog-walking area, ground-mounted solar panels, and structural landscaping works.
Planning officers said the general principle of expanding the caravan park was considered acceptable and acknowledged that additional tourism accommodation could provide economic benefits to the rural area. However, the council concluded that contradictions across submitted plans and documents prevented a full assessment of the development’s overall impact.
According to the decision notice, inconsistencies were found between the proposed site layout and landscaping plans, including differing numbers and types of camping pitches, conflicting access arrangements, and contradictory locations for the proposed solar panels and dog-walking area.
Officers stated that the council had requested corrected drawings more than six months earlier, but the discrepancies remained unresolved at the time the decision was made.
Flood risk issues also contributed to the refusal. Part of the proposed development site falls within an area identified as being at risk from surface water flooding. Planning officers noted that no Sequential Test had been submitted with the application.
According to Border Counties Advertizer, the test is required under national and local planning policy to demonstrate that no lower-risk alternative sites are available for the proposed development.
Drainage capacity formed another area of concern. Officers said the application did not provide sufficient evidence to confirm that the site’s existing drainage infrastructure and treatment plant could accommodate the increased number of pitches and visitors associated with the expansion.
The refusal also follows previous planning and enforcement matters connected to the caravan park. Officers said enforcement action had previously been opened regarding the original approval granted in 2017 for 19 hardstanding pitches and a farm shop, citing non-compliance with some planning conditions attached to that consent.
The council’s decision notice stated: “While the principle of development is acceptable, the application is undermined by a number of fundamental shortcomings.”
For operators and developers in the outdoor hospitality sector, the case highlights the increasing scrutiny being applied to planning submissions for campground and caravan park expansions, particularly in rural areas where flooding, drainage infrastructure, and environmental impacts are closely assessed.
Industry professionals considering growth projects may view the decision as a reminder of the importance of submitting coordinated site plans, updated technical assessments, and consistent supporting documentation early in the planning process to avoid delays or refusals.