A FLEDGLING ‘glamping’ business has been thrown a lifeline by councillors, after officers recommended refusing the owners permission to live on-site.

Earlier this year, the applicants, Mr and Mrs Banyard, were given the go-ahead for a luxury camping site, comprising five yurts, which are portable, round tents covered with skins or felt and usually used as a dwelling by nomads, at Ty’n y Clawdd, between Llanwnnen and Cribyn, near Lampeter.

But Welsh Government guidelines on rural development meant that they withdrew part of their application to convert a stable block into manager’s accommodation, and the couple submitted a separate application to station a caravan on site.

But officers recommended that councillors turn down this application as well. Mr and Mrs Banyard claimed that, due to the nature of their business, which is not yet open, someone would need to be on site 24 hours a day to welcome late arrivals, for security reasons, and in case of an emergency.

“CCTV is expensive and requires bright lights to work effectively,” the couple’s planning agent Christopher Kimpton told officers in response to their charge that the security reasons for the caravan were not sufficient.

“And CCTV does not show late-night arrivals where to go, or prevent theft or vandalism.

“The applicants want to provide five-star service, and will therefore need to be available 24/7, and on-hand to deal with any emergencies.”

Mr Kimpton said Mr and Mrs Banyard were happy to accept a limit of three years if permission was granted, and that the caravan would be moved within a month if the business closed. “Unfortunately the planning officer makes no mention of this in her report,” Mr Kimpton added.

“The applicants have invested a considerable amount of money — £150,000 — since the beginning, and their business will provide a much-needed boost to the local economy.”

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