Holiday park owners to appeal council's rejection of expansion plans
Owners of a Cannock Chase holiday park who were denied permission to add more static homes by councillors are planning to appeal the decision.
Silver Trees Holiday Park in Rugeley is experiencing its busiest holiday season for 20 years after international travel restrictions led to a surge in demand for UK “staycations”.
Plans were lodged earlier this year to install a dozen static caravans on an extension to the previous park limits, as well as removing 40 touring caravan pitches as tourer accommodation has not been offered at the site since 2003.
But Cannock Chase Council’s planning committee refused permission for the changes last month because of the site’s location. The plans were recommended for refusal by planning officers ahead of the August meeting.
A report said: “The site is in the West Midlands Green Belt wherein there is a presumption against inappropriate development. Inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should only be allowed where very special circumstances have been demonstrated to exist.”
Following the meeting Trevor Barber, one of the site’s owners, said they had not been in breach of a previous planning condition restricting the number of static homes at the park to 100 as reported.
He added that the plans had received no objections from Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Unit or Brindley Heath Parish Council – and letters of support had been submitted in response to the application.
An appeal against the council’s decision is now set to be launched.
Mr Barber said: “We are not looking to alter the landscape of the Chase that we respect. Our credentials are proven by achieving Gold since 2008 in the David Bellamy Conservation Awards and our membership of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, along with other friends and bodies that keep Silver Trees unique.
“We have been graded a five-star park for many years as a reflection of our quality and unique landscape with nature reserve and deer that are daily visitors. We are not the archetypal holiday park but a peace and quiet type situation, selling only to couples and ensuring our rental units are booked by visitors looking for a quiet break, not accepting potentially rowdy groups or working contractors that could devalue the location on Cannock Chase.
“Silver Trees has been in existence since 1949, although we regularly have comments from prospective visitors who arrive, are local to area but did not know we are here in this spot, perhaps only seeing our presence through advertising, which proves how unobtrusive Silver Trees is.
“We have the need coming from prospective purchasers of brand new units which are getting bigger, hence our request for the 12 pitches on the paddock field adjacent. Many of our existing pitches will not accommodate the newer bigger holiday homes.”
