Plans for glamping cabins in Newstead Abbey park rejected

Gedling Borough Council turned down the plans for five units, a bike store and parking for 10 vehicles on land off Station Avenue, around half a mile from the main abbey site.

Applicant Northage Enterprise Ltd also asked to build footpaths and a water treatment plant for on-site drainage.

Each cabin was proposed to have two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen and living room.

Newstead Parish Council said the application would have a “negative and detrimental impact on residents, and their amenity”.

Nine residents also objected to the plans, raising concerns over the site’s location in the green belt and the impact of added traffic.

They added that the plans would have a “harmful impact on wildlife”.

The abbey dates back as far as the 12th century and was home to the poet Lord Byron from 1808-1814.

“The site lies within the setting of the grade II* listed Registered Park and Garden of Newstead Abbey Park which provides the setting for Newstead Abbey, which is grade I Listed”, council documents stated.

Newstead Parish Council objected to the plans and said: “The surrounding homeowners have purchased their properties to take advantage of the quiet rural setting and this application could heavily impact their enjoyment of this.

“The Parish Council also has concerns that access to the site is not sustainable.

“The access road is a privately owned road that is rarely maintained. It is reasonably presumed that all guests to the site will travel by vehicle, and there is no indication of the number of customers who will staying onsite or any calculations regarding the potential traffic generated, which will likely travel through the village.”

Gedling Borough Council refused the application on the grounds that it would harm the green belt. It said further surveys were needed to determine whether there were protected species in the area.

It also noted that the plans were in close proximity to housing.