A planning application has been submitted to Shropshire Council for a proposed expansion of Foggy Bottom Caravan Park, located near the Shropshire/Powys border in Churchstoke, Montgomery.
Filed last month by Scott Higgins of Fullwood Higgins Leisure Ltd, the application outlines plans to increase the number of static holiday caravans on site and make associated infrastructure changes.
If approved, the proposed development would involve the removal of an existing garage/workshop and the relocation of the current warden’s caravan.
In its place, four new static holiday caravans would be added, positioned to overlook a pond within the park’s current boundaries. The proposal also includes the addition of five new parking spaces, which would supplement the five already established in that section of the park.
Foggy Bottom Caravan Park is currently home to 79 static caravans, seven glamping pods, and a residential warden’s lodge.
The park operates on a private ownership model, with caravan owners permitted to stay for 11 months each year. While the site has planning permission for year-round operation, it typically closes in February for maintenance and management.
Agent Philippa Davey of Savills, representing the applicant, emphasized that the proposed changes align with the existing character of the park.
“The holiday park operates on a ‘private ownership’ basis whereby caravan owners are able to visit and stay in their caravans during an 11-month holiday season (whilst the site has planning permission to operate for 12 months, the site closes in February for management and maintenance purposes),” she said in a report by Powys County Times.
She also noted that the expansion is within the approved boundaries of the holiday park and consists of structures that are legally defined as “caravans” under planning law.
“Therefore, there are no buildings proposed as part of the development and no building regulations approval is required,” she explained.
Davey added, “The proposals are brought forward as a result of continuing demand for self-catering holiday accommodation around the Shropshire Hills area, and will make a positive and low-impact addition to the holiday park; not to mention it will have the benefit of supporting the growth of the visitor economy in Shropshire.”
A decision on the application is expected by June 11.
For professionals in the outdoor hospitality sector, the proposal highlights the ongoing interest in low-impact, self-catering accommodations, particularly in areas with strong tourism appeal such as the Shropshire Hills.
Operators considering similar expansions may look to the Foggy Bottom Caravan Park case as a reference point for working within existing site boundaries and leveraging the appeal of quiet, amenity-light offerings that integrate with surrounding communities.