6 minute read
How to Avoid Planning Delays for Your Glamping Start-Up
Many aspiring glamping businesses in the UK find their dreams frustrated by the seemingly endless wait for planning approval. Thankfully, certain routes are available to bypass the delay. Kelda Bassett, CEO of geodome manufacturer TruDomes, explains.
Launching a glamping business is an exciting venture and an attractive way for many farmers and landowners to create a valuable revenue stream, but one of the biggest hurdles is the hassle and delay of obtaining planning approval. Many prospective sites find themselves waiting years before they can get up and running.
Fortunately, there are some relatively straightforward ways to avoid planning obstacles. An increasing number of landowners are joining an exempted organisation that has the authority to approve sites without the need for planning permission or a licence. Exempted organisations can use their permissions to certify members to run sites under their banner. TruDomes work with a number of these organisations and we know that they welcome applications from glamping sites.
It’s fair to say that your average glamping operator is more environmentally conscious than most businesses. Many have a commitment to sustainable practices and responsible land management while increasing numbers are opting for off-grid energy solutions. Those are the kind of green credentials that open the door to exempted organisations like The Woodland Champions Club and The Greener Camping Club which were both founded on an eco-driven ethos.
The Woodland Champions Club formed in 2017 to help landowners create and manage woodland and open them up for members of the public to use. The club has a commitment to plant trees with the help of the woodland trust and site members. The application process typically takes between 28 days and three months, granting members certification to operate year-round sites of up to 10 pitches. Member campsites are permitted to advertise anywhere, which isn’t always the case with exempted organisations.
The Greener Camping Club was established in 2015 with the aim of providing a more environmentally-friendly style of camping experience. Their ideal setting for a campsite is a sheltered area of at least one acre in a quiet rural setting, with safe vehicle access and a water supply. They prefer sites lined by trees or hedge banks over open sites that lack natural screening. However, sites that can benefit from tree planting or other natural screening will be considered. The Greener Camping Club requires a minimum of two touring pitches for each glamping unit and the site owner’s residence should also be on site. The club also provides start up guidance and ongoing support, with regular email updates on regulatory, health & safety and tourism matters.
Glampsites that can demonstrate their environmental commitment and land that meets the criteria of The Woodland Champions Club or The Greener Camping Club will have a ready-made customer base of members that camp on their certified sites. A number of TruDomes customers have chosen our domes, which are designed and built to support carbon reduction, to help demonstrate their green credentials and strengthen their applications to these two organisations.
The Freedom Camping Club is another fully certified and exempted organisation with the ability to license any piece of land deemed suitable for camping and caravanning to operate as a campsite. With an aim to bring diversity and flexibility to camping and caravanning, the club encourages sites to provide glamping units as part of their offering. While some exempted organisations prohibit open advertising and can only be booked by club members, The Freedom Camping Club is a non-exclusive club, giving glampsites access to a market of around 6 million campers. To apply to be certified, prospective sites are required to submit a form and discuss the requirements with one of the club’s consultants.
Any site which considers joining an exempted organisation needs to be careful about the nature of the communal facilities it provides in support of the accommodation. Building, excavations and other works may require a planning application which disqualifies a site from certified membership.
For glamping businesses that want more independence, without the rules applied by exempted organisations, operating as a temporary or ‘pop-up’ site is another way to bypass a full planning application.
This pitfall can be avoided with the use of moveable composting toilets, portaloos and off-grid showers. Portable structures are usually considered chattels which do not need planning approval. However, if structures are not easily movable, are attached to the ground or have fixed utility attachments, they may fall into the definition of a building. Trailermounted facilities are a potential solution providing they can be easily detached from water, waste and electricity services.
For glamping businesses that want more independence, without the rules applied by exempted organisations, operating as a temporary or ‘pop-up’ site is another way to bypass a full planning application. In the UK, permitted development rights (PDR) allow a temporary recreational campsite to operate for up to 60 days per year without needing full planning permission. Following government legislation, the previous limit of 28 days was extended in July 2023. That move was regarded as a game-changer in the camping sector, enabling temporary sites to take bookings throughout the peak season spanning the height of the UK summer. PDR is subject to a limited number of conditions, including a maximum of 50 pitches, provision of certain on-site facilities and giving prior notification to the Local Planning Authority on an annual basis.
To make a pop-up glampsite practical to run, it’s vital to choose accommodation that’s easy to assemble and dismantle, ideally requiring no infrastructure or wooden base for installation. A compact geodome is one of the best options to meet those requirements – it just needs a base sheet and is easily erected and taken down. It’s also easy to store out of season.
Whether you choose to be a pop-up site or certified by an exempted organisation, these options involve some initial work in making sure you tick the right boxes to qualify. However, that time is minimal compared to the bureaucracy and delay of a full planning application.
