A COUNTY MP visited one of the county's campsites to hear about the effects of relaxed rules on planning permission.

The Minister for sport and tourism, Nigel Huddleston MP, heard first-hand on Friday, September 10, when he visited Little Fish Meadow, a campsite near Upton Upon Severn to hear how many farmers and land-based businesses have taken advantage of relaxed Permitted Development Rights enabling them to operate tent campsites for 56 days in England and Wales without needing to apply for planning permission.

Campsite operator and organic farmer Oliver Surman told Mr Huddleston how his campsite had enabled his farm to generate and expand a revenue stream, while supporting local businesses that have suffered during the COVID pandemic.

“We’ve had more than 350 bookings this year,” Mr Surman said.

“I would estimate that everyone who stays with us spends between £25 and £30 a day with surrounding businesses which has a really positive impact on the local economy.”

The change in regulations was introduced in July 2020 to help the rural economy recover from the COVID pandemic, as well as providing much needed extra capacity for staycationers.

Previously, farmers and land-based businesses had only been able to operate temporary campsites for 28 days per year without applying for planning permission, which put many of them off from trying.

The regulations are due to revert back to this limit in England at the end of this year.

But Oliver told the minister the change to 56 days, coupled with the challenging economic outlook for agriculture, will have been the ‘tipping point’ that prompted many farmers to finally set one up.

He said: “We run a number of diversification activities on the farm including camping, but we hadn’t got round to maximising it as a business opportunity.

“Upton is a tourist town and without visitors it would suffer.

"Campsites like ours are a fantastic way to boost visitor numbers during peak season when demand is at its highest and with the extended planning regulations in place, that is happening all across England and Wales.”

Mr Huddleston said he was delighted to see local businesses adapting to the challenges of the past two years.

“The regulations were changed for precisely this reason,” he said.

“This is a great example of communities working together and supporting each other through very challenging times.”