A popular Isle of Wight tourist attraction is looking to change its seasonal camping to a more permanent offer.
Tapnell Farm, based on the outskirts of Freshwater, is looking to install 32 high-quality tourism pods, each with enough space for 4 beds in each.
They would be clad in rough-sawn vertical timber and stained, with some walls featuring a trellised living wall.
Currently, the site is the zorbing course and also in the summer, houses 30 bell tents and a communal activities tent. The new tourism pods would be moveable but would be a more permanent fixture.
The seasonal campsite ran from 1st May to 30th September and has been used before by the National Citizens Service.
In the last year, Tapnell Farm has partnered with Camp Libertas, which offers children from 8 to 15 the opportunity to connect with nature. Planning agent, on behalf of Tapnell Farm, BCM says the proposal will deliver a high-quality solution which breaks the seasonality of trade.
It is proposed the permanent shower and toilet block would remain.
A landscaping scheme is also proposed as part of the camping development. It includes the planting of 70 native tree; a 21,300m² meadow grassland; 195m of mixed native hedge and 1,900m² of tree and scrub planting.
Planning permission had been previously refused for 7 permanent self-contained tourism domes as it was considered the domes were inappropriate to the visual amenity and the character of the area.
You can view the application, 21/01931/FUL, on the council’s planning register. Comments can be made until 16th December.
