A plan to build a campsite in Groudle has been unanimously rejected by the planning committee.

The application (19/00830/B) had been submitted by Anchard Leisure, fronted by Richard Dangerfield and supported by Wigwam Holidays.

The plan was for 20 glamping pods, a welcome centre and car parking for 22 vehicles in part of field 613191 off Ballamenagh Road, Groudle Glen, Baldrine.

Planner Chris Balmer considered the application and recorded a recommendation of rejecting it.

He said that the application was against the island’s strategic plan, had failed to show a conceptual need for the site, and raised concerns about the proposed lighting and a lack of passing places on the single track road from which the site is accessed.

The report also said that there are other such sites in the island and there is ’not an infinite market for glamping [so-called glamorous camping] on the Isle of Man’.

Bill Cubbon, representing Groudle Glen Railway, spoke as an objector to the plan. He stressed that the railway was ’neutral’, but planning committee procedure means the charity was registered as objecting.

Mr Cubbon said that the GGR had ’raised concerns’ with the application including that the field is currently zoned as agricultural land.

The railway was also concerned that the site could be seen from King Edward Road and if the site would be able to withstand the harsh winter weather it would experience on the coast.

Mr Cubbon said that the railway was also worried that this application ’may be just the tip of the iceberg’ and this application may lead to more in the future.

Mr Dangerfield spoke to support the application and pointed out the history of Groudle as a glen which was created to be a tourist destination which included the railway and a zoo.

He explained that Wigwam Holidays, which operates sites across the UK, had chosen Groudle out of five possible locations around the island.

The pods were planned to be built behind the trees which line the field and would therefore not have been visible from King Edward Road, Mr Dangerfield explained.

He added: ’We believe our scheme is comparable with government aims for tourism and would accept any conditions from planning.’

The planning committee were largely united in their views on the application that they liked the concept, but not the location.

Chairman Tim Baker MHK said that the application was ’clearly against planning policy’ and that he ’can’t see any national need for this’.

He added: ’I don’t see any Department for Enterprise support, which is very unusual. I’m surprised the application hadn’t engaged DfE more and I’m afraid I can’t support it.’