Holiday pods refused over 'eroding character' fear
GoogleA proposal to build holiday pods in a hamlet has been refused.
Westmorland and Furness Council has rejected plans to build six "eco-holiday pods" in High Biggins, near Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria.
The local authority believed the development would "erode the character" of the area and it received numerous letters of objection.
The plans for the pods off Pitt Lane, lodged by The British Pod Co, were turned down by the authority on 23 December.
Kirkby Lonsdale Town Council "strongly" recommended refusal of the application, stating the site was "inappropriate" and there being "no demonstrable need".
One objector said: "There is already a saturation of holiday pods/static caravans in and around Kirkby Lonsdale and to install these would simply be taking away business from other holiday lets."
The application said the site was given previous permission to build six affordable houses, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
But the application also said the "existing residential consent is financially non-deliverable".
It added: "The proposed tourism development offers the only viable and policy-compliant method for developing the site, generating superior economic benefits while safeguarding local amenity and landscape character."
In a report, the council's planning officer said: "The proposed development is not acceptable in principle.
"The development will erode the character of the setting and cause harm to the visual amity of the area, without exceptional justification."
