Sunny Mount Long Marton APPLEBY-IN-WESTMORLAND CA16 6BU

1. 1.The application is described as a change of use to accommodate up to 10 touring caravan pitches plus ancillary development, however the supporting statement makes a case for the caravans to house workers to be employed in the dualling of the A66 and bridge replacements on the M6. No evidential need is put forward for a requirement to house workers engaged in the engineering operations of the A66 and M6 and so it is not possible to determine that such a need exists. Even so, a permanently occupied caravan site at this location would not constitute a suitable form of farm diversification, since it constitutes an inherently unsustainable form of housing development. South Lakeland House, Lowther Street, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4DQ westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk Furthermore, tourism developments in the rural countryside may only be granted permission under the relevant Local Plan Policy EC4 conditional to restriction of occupation to holiday use only, to avoid permanent occupation. Such would not be possible for the current proposal which would in effect be granting permanent residential use for 10 pitches on a rural, disconnected site without public services or transport. Alternatively, proposals considered for essential worker's dwellings in the countryside under Policy HS3 would only allow for workers engaged in agriculture or forestry. The adverse impacts of allowing the development would strongly outweigh the benefits of providing additional housing, and so the tilted balance under Paragraph 11 of the National Planning Policy Framework invoked by the Council’s shortfall in its 5 year housing land supply is not considered to carry sufficient additional weight to render the scheme acceptable. As such the proposal amounts to an unacceptable form of unsustainable development contrary to Policies RUR4 and EC4 of the Eden Local Plan.
2. 2.A containerised unit is proposed to serve as a toilet and shower block, however the individual caravan units would also each have their own toilets. No arrangements are provided for how the waste from those toilets would be discharged. This invalidates the proposed method of achieving Nutrient Neutrality which does not account for foul disposal from the individual caravans, and consequently the scheme does not meet the requirements of the Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations 2017 as the proposal does not demonstrate that the additional nutrient loads from the development would not have an adverse effect on the River Eden and Tributaries Catchment Habitat Site. The proposal has not made adequate provision for foul drainage arrangements and is therefore considered to be contrary to Policy DEV5 of the Eden Local Plan, which requires that new development provides adequate space for the storage, collection and recycling of waste, and as such it considered that Paragraph 139 of the National Planning Policy Framework is invoked: "Development that is not well designed should be refused."

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

CA16 6BU

Application type

Full Application

Scale / size

Small

Parish

Long Marton

Date validated

10 February 2026

Consultation expiry

17 March 2026

Consultation start

12 February 2026

Consultation end

17 March 2026

Application expires

7 April 2026

Agent address

Furrow Green Farm Wharton Kirkby Stephen CA17 4LQ

Statutory period

56 days

Site notice start

24 February 2026

Documents

21