Planning decision for National Park Authority-owned camping and caravan site
This is an archived press release
Friday 7 February 2020
The Peak District National Park Authority’s planning committee today (Friday 7 February) granted planning permission for operational facilities at a touring camping and caravan site at Brosterfield, near the village of Foolow, in Derbyshire.
In 1998, the Authority gave planning permission for what was intended to be a touring caravan site at this location. This permission was subsequently contested by the then owner who argued that static homes could be sited there.
The Authority challenged this interpretation, however, this decision was then re-determined by a different planning inspector, and the appeal was allowed and the Authority's case was lost. The Authority accepted the permission could allow the presence of static homes.
In 2012 the Authority – with the support of the community, purchased the site for £650,000, in order to protect the landscape and prevent it becoming an unconditional static caravan site, with the fully disclosed shared intention of reverting it to a touring caravan site.
Since then the Authority has developed plans that would allow the location to return to the original intention of a touring caravan site.
Today’s decision allows for plans for an amended access modelled on a traditional farm access, and a low-key amenity building.
Sarah Fowler, chief executive of the Peak District National Park said: “Today’s decision allows for plans that are in line with those from the original 1998 permission at Brosterfield caravan site.
“We acknowledge the strength of feeling within the community of Foolow and we have remained in continued conversation with the community in the period since the original permission.
“Having heard the views of the community and having considered all the planning matters - including our commitment to return the use of the site to a touring caravan site - the planning committee have today now confirmed what is appropriate in planning terms. We will now consider a range of options for what we do next, and this will ultimately be a decision for the full Authority.”