Whixall Marina, near Whitchurch, Shropshire, has submitted plans to expand its tourism accommodation offering with nine new cabins as the business looks to increase capacity and support more consistent year-round operations.
The marina’s owners, the Grocott family, have applied to Shropshire Council for planning permission to develop the cabins on an area of hardstanding currently used for storage. The proposed units would be timber-clad and designed to provide additional holiday accommodation within the existing marina operation.
Whixall Marina already offers several forms of visitor accommodation, including barn conversions, canal-side cabins and glamping pods. The site also operates a café and canal boat hire, with the planning application describing holiday accommodation as an increasingly important component of the business since the Grocott family acquired the marina from British Waterways in 2017.
A planning statement prepared by Peter Richards and Co said investment since the acquisition has included improvements to existing facilities and the addition of new visitor offerings.
“The Grocott family purchased Whixall Marina in 2017 from British Waterways and has reinvigorated it with investment in upgrading and adding new facilities, including holiday accommodation and a popular café which has become a firm fixture within the local community.”
The statement said the marina currently provides a range of tourism accommodation and that the proposed cabins would expand the business while making use of land that is not currently serving an accommodation function.
“There is a range of tourist accommodation currently afforded on site; from a dwelling known as Bridgefields, barn conversions, canal side cabins and glamping pods. The provision of additional cabins will aid the existing business supporting the existing infrastructure sustaining and creating employment.”
According to the application, investment in glamping accommodation since 2017 has contributed to the marina becoming a tourism destination, alongside facilities such as canal boat hire.
The proposed development is also intended to address seasonality. The business said the additional accommodation could provide more opportunities to operate during the winter months and generate a steadier flow of revenue outside the peak season.
“The site owners advise that whilst the business is most profitable in the peak season, the proposed development will allow for a more sustainable business with a more consistent cash-flow, affording options to ‘over-winter’ and better sustain employment.”
Each proposed cabin would contain two bedrooms, an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, and bathroom facilities. The application also includes landscaping measures intended to integrate the development into the existing rural setting. These include a boundary hedge, internal hedges between the units, additional tree planting and a landscape buffer along the eastern side of the site.
For outdoor hospitality operators, the proposal illustrates one approach to expanding accommodation capacity without identifying a need for additional undeveloped land. Converting existing hardstanding used for storage into tourism accommodation can allow an established destination to add inventory while building on existing infrastructure, although the commercial benefits will depend on occupancy, operating costs, planning approval and the ability to attract guests outside the peak season.
According to the Shropshire Star, the planning statement said the cabin development has been designed to remain proportionate to the wider marina and its rural surroundings.
“The proposal will allow expansion of the business and optimisation of underutilised land, in this case an area of hardstanding used for storage. It is considered an appropriate use supporting the key role Shropshire’s canal network affords.
“The proposed cabin development has been carefully considered to be an appropriate scale to support the wider business effectively whilst not being over bearing to the wider area.
“The proposal has been designed in conjunction with specialist landscape consultants to sit comfortably within its rural setting, maintaining the character of the countryside while enhancing its functional use.”
Shropshire Council will determine the planning application at a later date. Until a decision is issued, the nine-cabin development remains a proposal and is not approved for construction.
