Glamping site could be created for pilgrims visiting religious sites near Holywell

Liam Randall, local democracy reporter

A glamping site could be created in Flintshire to cater for pilgrims visiting religious sites in the area.

An application has been submitted to develop an area of farmland in Pantasaph, near Holywell, to accommodate seven glamping pods and four log cabins.

The site on Monastery Road is located close to the Pantasaph Franciscan Friary, which was founded in 1852 after two aristocrats became Roman Catholic converts.

It is also within travelling distance of St Winefride’s Well in Holywell, which is claimed to be one the oldest continually visited pilgrimage sites in Great Britain.

Agents acting on behalf of applicant Charlie Gorst said it would be an ideal location to attract visitors.

In documents entered with Flintshire Council, they said: “It is believed that the site would be valuable in terms of tourism because of the significance of the area to pilgrims who come to visit the local religious sites.

“As the Franciscan friary is ‘set back from the roads and approached by driveways’ and is also a distance away from the site, the negative impact of the site on the friary is assessed to be likely little or none.

“The positive impact would be good-quality accommodation nearby, of which there is limited availability at the moment.

“The same would apply to St. Winefride’s Well and Chapel and the Chapel of the Sepulchre in Whitford.

“The site would be developed in such a way as to consider the sensitivity of the conservation area and its surrounding rich heritage assets and therefore this would be taken into account in the design and materials used for the buildings on the site.”

The application states the development could lead to the creation up to four full-time jobs, with an extra log cabin proposed for the site manager.

A new entrance and access road would also be built to serve the glamping site under the plans.

A decision will be made on the scheme by the local authority at a later date.