The owner of a three-hectare site near Bathford, who has been using it as private “pleasure grounds” since 2018 without permission, has now won approval to continue to do so.
The entrance to the site off of Box Road | Image © Google Street View / Google 2024
The site to the north of Box Road is understood to be a former landfill site, which has been remediated.
The site is within the Green Belt and Cotswold National Landscape.
The land has been used since 2018 primarily as an area to relax and enjoy nature and the outdoors, and host occasional charity events.
A planning application was submitted at the end of 2023 for continued use and was finally granted on 26th November.
A report from the applicant’s planning consultants clarified that there is no residential property associated with the land and both the track and summer house are considered lawful, having been in situ since at least May 2018.
The report said that over the course of the applicant’s ownership of the site, he has planted numerous shrubs and trees, created a pond, installed tool sheds, erected a pergola, and installed decked access paths.
A submitted landscaping plan showed that the pergolas and riverside structures will be removed, and new native hedgerows, woodland planting, a wetland meadow, orchard, and a production garden are proposed.
The council received six letters in support of the planning application, saying the site has been improved, is a peaceful place to see wildlife, and that flora and fauna are being promoted and improved.
One objector highlighted concerns including noise disturbance from events, the impact on road safety and the potential for pollution of the brook which runs along one of the site’s boundaries.
Bathford Parish Council raised no objection.
A B&NES Council planning officer said that it does not amount to inappropriate development in the Green Belt and that access and parking arrangements are considered acceptable.
The applicants had confirmed to the council that charity events will only take place for a couple of days a year and will certainly not take place for more than 28 days in a year, therefore such usage does not require planning permission.
Four years ago a certificate of lawfulness sought for plans to erect three wooden cabins at the site was refused by the council.
