A new campsite is set to be developed near the M5 motorway in Somerset after a successful appeal overturned a previous planning refusal.
Anthony Ormerod initially failed in August 2023 to gain permission for the campsite on Dipford Road, located in the parish of Trull, roughly midway between the village and the Taunton Deane services (between M5 junctions 25 and 26). Subsequently, Mr. Ormerod partnered with Cosy Barn Holidays Ltd to submit revised plans for the same number of tents. These plans were again refused by Somerset Council in September 2025.
However, the Planning Inspectorate has now overturned this decision, paving the way for the campsite’s construction within the next year.
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The site is positioned at the intersection of Dipford Road and Sweethay Lane, near Galmington Stream, and approximately a mile from a proposed housing development of 130 homes adjacent to Trull Cricket Club.
The campsite will feature tent pitches laid out through the center of the area, with a wildflower meadow planted along the northern boundary to enhance local biodiversity. A significant modification from earlier proposals is the removal of a permanent amenities building in favor of a temporary shower and toilet block, which will be dismantled outside the tourist season.
The campsite will operate seasonally from March 1 to September 30 each year. A package treatment plant, situated near the allocated parking area off Dipford Road, will manage the additional phosphates produced by the campsite before wastewater is released into the Galmington Stream.
Planning inspector Felicity Webber visited the site on January 21, and on June 3 published her ruling on the Planning Inspectorate’s official website. Ms. Webber confirmed that the package treatment plant “would be sufficient” to ensure phosphate mitigation, preventing further harm to the internationally protected Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar site.
Additional environmental benefits include the planting of an orchard on-site. The applicants also committed to purchasing phosphate credits generated by fallowed agricultural land within the River Tone catchment should the treatment plant’s capacity be exceeded.
Addressing concerns about the site’s visual and character impact, Ms. Webber commented that since the earlier appeal dismissal, the appellant had collaborated with the council to mitigate previous visual harm. Changes included the type and height of tents, reducing the size of ancillary structures, and removing raised wooden tent platforms.
Ms. Webber added that tents and ancillary structures would be removed after the 37-week seasonal use, while increased landscaping and orchard planting, including expansion into an adjacent drainage field, would gradually offset visual effects from public viewpoints. She concluded that any minor adverse effects on the area’s character would be temporary and not significantly harmful.
Noting the site’s distance from local amenities, Ms. Webber acknowledged that most visitors would rely on private cars. Nevertheless, she affirmed: “The appeal site is in an appropriate location for the proposal and complies with the National Planning Policy Framework in terms of enabling sustainable rural tourism.” This aligns with the Trull Neighbourhood Plan, which supports diversifying farm businesses.
A separate request from the developer for costs relating to legal fees was refused.