Plans for new glamping site in Peterborough village rejected over flooding concerns

Plans for a new glamping site in Thorney have been rejected by planning officers.

The application intended to convert the riding school and livery yard at Portsands Farm on French Drove into a glamping site, with six purpose-built Wigwam cabins.

The luxurious form of camping would have seen holiday-makers have access to many facilities inside the cabins.

Those included a table and four chairs, a full sized fridge, hob, microwave, sink, toilet and shower facilities, a mixture of double beds and sofa beds, with drawers underneath and an LED lit mirror over the wash basin.

The plans have been rejected though due to concerns about the location within a flood zone.

The decision notice stated: “The proposal development is located with Flood Zones 3. This use needs to be supported by a flood risk assessment which includes an acceptable sequential test and exceptions tests to demonstrate the proposal cannot be accommodated in an area of lower flood risk and can safely operate on this site.

"The submitted Flood Risk Assessment does not contain either test and incorrectly considers that such tests are not needed. The proposal is therefore unacceptable in principle.”

The decision notice goes onto state that the issues have been discussed with the applicant but that it has not been possible to identify solutions to the concerns that have been set out.