Bright Meadows Limited has applied for retrospective planning permission for its caravan park on Beyton Road in Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds.
The application seeks to regularise the site, which has been operating without full planning consent despite records indicating partial approvals dating back several decades.
The land in question straddles two local authorities, prompting the submission of two identical applications—one to Mid Suffolk District Council and another to West Suffolk Council.
While historical documents indicate that planning permissions were granted by Mid Suffolk in 1998 and by the former Borough of St Edmundsbury in 1988, the applicants argue that certain conditions associated with those approvals were not fulfilled. As a result, the permissions are considered to have lapsed.
To support the application, Laister Planning submitted statutory declarations confirming the site has been in continuous use as a caravan park for at least the past 10 years without formal planning consent.
Among these is a declaration from Gary Salter, who stated he has lived on the site since 2008.
Former site owners John and Robert Dorling, who managed the property between 2017 and 2023, also provided statements, citing their familiarity with the site’s use as far back as 1994.
The current registered owners, according to Companies House records, are James Birch (since 2023) and Charles Birch (since 2024).
Aerial photographs dating back to 1999 were included in the application to further demonstrate the site’s longstanding use for caravans.
Planning documents indicate that prior permissions allowed for up to 100 caravans, although the number currently on-site is approximately 42.
The applicants assert that, in the absence of any contradictory evidence from council records or residents, the site’s continuous use qualifies it for a lawful development certificate.
This type of certificate is commonly used to confirm the lawful status of an existing use or development and can offer clarity to owners and investors regarding long-term compliance.
For business owners in the outdoor hospitality sector, this case underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date planning records and compliance with permission conditions.
The legal and operational stability of caravan and glamping sites can be significantly affected by lapses in regulatory approval, particularly when ownership changes or expansion is planned.According to BuryMercury, the planning applications are currently under review by both local councils.