Glamping pods get thumbs down from planners

Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter

Proposals for six glamping pods, a Mongolian yurt and a static caravan have been declined by planners over their impact on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The developers had felt the scheme planned for land off Bull Bay Road at Amlwch, Ynys Môn would give “minimal visual impact,” whilst planners had stated it could be “detrimental” to the character and appearance of the area.

Anglesey County Council had considered the application submitted by Malcolm J Fine, through the agent Diogel Architecture.

The full application had requested permission for the change of use of land into a glamping site.

It would include six mobile eco-cottages on wheels, a yurt and a staff/security caravan and associated development.

The single Mongolian yurt would be for “educational use,” the application stated.

The proposal also said it had been “refined” in direct response to pre-application feedback, and that the accommodation would be “non-permanent, fully reversible” and could be removed from the site during the closed season.

The plan cited use of materials such as green timber cladding, sedum roofs, enhanced screening, with native hedgerow planting and temporary green fencing.

It would be “confined to the existing bracken/scrub” land and would “entirely avoid” the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s sensitive heathland, grassland and stream buffer zones.

The application stated: “The development conserves and enhances the special qualities of the Anglesey AONB, complies with the Joint LDP and national policy, and delivers measurable economic and biodiversity benefits.”

It was also noted, in a green infrastructure statement with the application, that the proposed development had been “carefully designed to respect and enhance its surroundings”.

It added: “This proposal represents a sensitively designed, small-scale, low-impact glamping site that avoids environmental harm, promotes sustainable design and materials, and incorporates appropriate drainage and ecological considerations.”

However, in a decision dated January 16, 2026, the scheme was refused on several grounds by the planning authority.

It had considered “that the development, by virtue of being located within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was contrary to policy”.

Also, against policy, it was felt “the development neither conserves nor enhances the special qualities and features of the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the detriment of the character and appearance of the area”.

The planners also cited rejection based on consideration that the proposal “would result in significant adverse impact upon the designated wildlife site” and that “insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that the proposal will protect and enhance biodiversity”.

The planners had also concluded that there was “no proven need for a single caravan in connection with the establishment of a new rural based enterprise” and that “insufficient information had been provided to demonstrate that flood risk and its consequences could be acceptably managed over the lifetime of the development”.