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Plans to build camping pods near Crosskeys have been given the go-ahead, but a caravan on the site must go within 18 months.
Work had already started on three camping pods on land off Blackvein Road – and now Caerphilly County Borough Council has approved the plans.
All three camping pods will have a deck and a small storage container, where guests can store items such as bicycles.
The plans were approved despite concerns from nearby residents.
One objection said the development is “unsightly” and “not keeping with the environment”, while another raised concerns over excess traffic on a single-track road.
However, the planning report says the distance between residential properties and the camping pods is sufficient enough to not have an impact.
It says: “In conclusion, the proposal for consideration is not seeking to offer ‘glamping accommodation’.
“The intentions of the applicants is to provide an eco-type of accommodation that has been built to be as sustainable as possible in terms of its impact.
“This type of accommodation would not be sought by all tourists in that the camping pods are intentionally low key in terms of their facilities, as it is the aim of the applicant to provide a facility whereby guests can escape the day-to-day stress of everyday life and reconnect with the countryside.”
There was also an objection to the plans because “the applicant is residing in a static caravan”.
The planning report said this was a separate matter being addressed by enforcement.
The report says that the caravan must be removed from the site and an enforcement notice had been served to make sure this happens.
The applicants have been given 18 months to comply, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the fact that it’s the applicants’ only residence.
However, if the caravan is still there after 18 months, the council could begin legal proceedings to remove it.
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