Campsite on shores of East Sussex reservoir approved

The councillor’s comments came at a meeting of Wealden District Council’s planning committee north on Thursday (November 12), where members approved an application to operate a campsite on the shores of the Bewl Water Reservoir.

The applicant had been seeking a three-year permission to operate an 80-pitch campsite, between May and September each year. 

The campsite has already been operating in a more limited way under permitted development rights, but for ward councillor Johanna Howell (Con) an increased use in the way proposed would be unacceptable. She said: “I think this application is too soon. We’re not against any kind of development on this site. I think it is a necessary requirement. 

“This has been here a very long time and we’ve all been very privileged to use it. It is lovely, it is peaceful, it is tranquil. It is all the things you are seeking in the AONB.  

“So to put in a lot of multi-coloured tents [and] motorhomes into the most sensitive place in the AONB is actually sheer downright thuggery to my point of view. 

“You’re going to turn it into a theme park with waterslides. The harm will definitely outweigh the good.”

Similar views were shared by her fellow ward councillor (and council leader) Bob Standley, who highlighted residents’ concerns and previous complaints around noise. 

He also raised concerns about the presence of motor homes, which he said represented a significant change in the site’s operation. 

After hearing from ward members, several committee members argued in favour of deferring the application to agree additional conditions to address these concerns.

The arguments from ward councillors failed to sway all members of the committee, however.

Bob Bowdler (Con, Horam and Punnets Town) said: “It’s unfortunate that we seem not able to facilitate tourism into AN area when we are going to need all the help we can get in the recovery phase after this covid. 

“And I haven’t heard from the two local members any legitimate planning reasons that we could use in refusing this, when we all know that at worst they could revert to previous system of 28 days camping without planning permission.

Gareth Owen-Williams (Lib Dem, Crowborough Jarvis Brook), meanwhile, said: “ It seems to me that with personal finances being affected by the current crisis  and foreign holidays cancelled, it could well be that in six months time this could still be the case. 

“Families do need reasonably-priced holidays in this country so it seems to me to be a little bit sad to exclude them from that. Also, with the increase in housebuilding, [those] families do deserve affordable access to the AONB as much as everyone else.

“It’s a beautiful place, I’ve camped there myself and I think it should be shared with people.”

Following further discussion, the committee agreed to grant planning permission with seven votes in favour, four against.

While approved, councillors included an additional condition related to noise management. Officers described this as a “trapdoor” clause, which would require the operator to ensure it was effectively managing noise to keep the planning permission beyond the first year.

A further condition to limit where on the site motorised camper vans could pitch up was also agreed.

The campsite has already been operating in a more limited way for several years, as, under planning law, land can temporarily be used for camping for up to 28 days each year without planning permission.

This rose to 56 days this year, as a result of temporary measures brought about in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

For further information see application reference WD/2020/0717/MAJ on the Wealden District Council website.