Council steps in to block pop-up campsite plans in Richmond
Council officials have stepped in to block a pop-up campsite operating on land earmarked for a controversial holiday park near the banks of the River Swale.
North Yorkshire Council has issued a temporary stop notice to prevent the campsite running on Barn Close Field, in Maison Dieu, Richmond, and at former playing fields off Easby Low Road, between Richmond and Easby Abbey.
The St Nicholas Estate in Richmond advised North Yorkshire Council of their plans to run the pop-up site on the two fields last month.
Estate owner Nick Green sought to use permitted development rights to operate the site between August 1 and 15 and August 18 and 31, with a maximum of 50 pitches across both fields.
But the council issued a temporary stop notice ahead of the site opening.
North Yorkshire Council has declined to comment on the issue.
But council documents state that the authority considers that there has been a breach of planning control on the land.
They add: “The council has received information that unauthorised development is taking place on the land lying to the south of Maison Dieu, Richmond and land on the northeast side of The Boathouse, Blackhouse Ings, Richmond.
“The council has received information that camping is taking place on the land.
“This is considered to be classed as development which requires planning permission.
“It is considered from the information received by the council that the use of the land has materially changed use to that of a campsite.”
The notice requires the owner to cease the use of the land as a campsite and cease any “engineering operations, operational development and all works on the land associated with use of the land as a campsite”.
The notice runs until September 25.
North Yorkshire councillor for Richmond, Stuart Parsons, said there was a feeling of “great unhappiness” among local residents about the plans for the fields.
He said: “The idea of anybody driving a mobile home from Lombards Wynd to Easby Low Road up and down a very difficult track is unbelievable.”
“Poor North Yorkshire Council has taken a lot of flak for trying to get to grips with this, but this time they did react very quickly.
“The applicants must realise they have no local support for what’s going on.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has attempted to contact the landowner via their agents but has not received a response.
A previous application to use just the Barn Close Field was rejected earlier this year because the campsite would partly be on the site of a scheduled monument, the Scot’s Dyke, which runs down the edge of the field.
A planning application to build eight holiday cabins on the former playing fields site was rejected in January for various reasons, including concerns about the access road along Easby Low Road and the impact on Richmond Conservative Area.
A revised application using an alternative access road from Easby High Road is currently being considered by the council.
On the latest pop-up campsite application, Mr Green stated that the access point at Barn Closes field avoids the northern boundary of the historic Scot’s Dyke.
The applicant says the proposed pop-up campsite would be located on land which is not within a safety hazard area, Site of Special Scientific Interest or the curtilage of a listed building.
The temporary campsite would accommodate tents, campervans and motorhomes, but not towed caravans, with vehicles accessing the former playing fields from Easby Low Road.
Parking would be provided on the site along with composting toilets, while YorWaste would collect rubbish from bins provided in each field.
The applicant says campers would also have access to a mains supply of drinking water.
The playing fields site is beside a popular walking route between Richmond and Easby Abbey and is near the Drummer Boy Stone, which, according to local legend, marks the spot where a military drummer boy vanished in a tunnel between Richmond Castle and Easby Abbey.