Plans to change agricultural land at Batheaston into a venue for counselling and therapy where counsellors will work in yurts have been approved despite some local concerns.
An example of a yurt | Library image
The directors of The Wellbeing Garden sought permission from Bath & North East Somerset Council for the “innovative and low impact proposal in a naturalistic setting”.
The land is between 131 and 153 High Street and is situated within the Green Belt and the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The planning application said that the reversible nature of the scheme means it does not fall within the definition of ‘building’.
The two yurts and an earth closet will be screened from public view by trees and a wall.
The proposed use is between 8am and 4pm Monday to Saturday, although initially the centre will open on Fridays only from 10am to 3pm. with two counsellors working in the yurts and seeing up to eight clients a day.
The council received 12 objections including concerns about the impact on local parking and wildlife, overlooking and loss of privacy to neighbours, and that the proposal could result in further development on the site in the future.
One objector said that no further development in Batheaston should be permitted until the village’s “extreme traffic issues” are resolved.
One person supported the good intentions of the proposal.
But B&NES Council planning officers said that the “modest scale” therapy use will preserve the openness of this part of the Green Belt and would not be inappropriate development.
There was no objection from the council’s highways team who said the site is easily accessible by pedestrians and well served by public transport connections.
Conditions of permission include that full details of a biodiversity net gain plan and a habitat management plan must be submitted and approved by the council before work can start.
