Eco-glamping site with communal orchard proposed

Cyngor Gwynedd will consider a full planning application for the change of use of land to form a seasonal site, comprising five tipis on land adjacent to Rhiw Goch, at Rhosgadfan.

The scheme is proposed by Michael Burke through the agent Molly Jones and would also see erection of amenities / storage building and associated works.

The plans say the application follows pre-application advice received from Cyngor Gwynedd in relation to the proposed development at Rhiw Goch.

The proposal would see five seasonal tipi accommodation units, timber decking platforms, a single-storey timber clad amenities building comprising of a shared toilet and shower facilities together with associated storage.

It would also include an informal parking and turning area surfaced in reclaimed slate waste, communal orchard and growing space, pedestrian pathways linking the accommodation, communal areas and public footpath and native landscaping and biodiversity enhancements.

The plans say: “The proposal seeks to provide high-quality, low-impact visitor accommodation that supports the rural economy, promotes sustainable tourism and responds positively to the character, landscape and cultural identity of the surrounding area.”

The application site currently comprises agricultural grazing land associated with the dwelling known as Rhiw Goch, on the edge of the village of Rhosgadfan.

It occupies a sloping field adjacent to the existing dwelling and sits within a wider rural landscape of agricultural land, field boundaries, existing vegetation and scattered built development.

The proposal says each tipi would accommodate up to four guests, providing a maximum site occupancy of twenty guests.

“The tipis will be positioned on timber decking structures and arranged across the site to maintain privacy, reduce visual impact and respond to the site’s existing topography and field pattern,” the plans say.

“The structures are lightweight, temporary and removable in nature and will be used only during the operational season.”

It also notes that the proposal “includes a communal orchard, communal growing space, pedestrian pathways and a package of native landscaping and biodiversity enhancements intended to strengthen the site’s landscape integration and ecological value”.

The glamping site would operate on a seasonal basis only between March 1 and October 31.

The plan state at the end of each season, the tipi structures would be dismantled and stored within the associated storage area of the amenities building during the winter months.