Ask Jeremy and Sarah what they are most proud of about their award-winning holiday let business, and the answer is quick and clear – the reviews. Set within 350 acres of rolling woodland countryside on the Devon/Somerset border, Peckmoor Farm Lodges has become one of self-catering specialist Hoseasons’ most popular locations over the last seven years, boasting an impressive average customer review score of 9.7/10.

It’s exactly what the couple hoped for when they made the decision to sell Jeremy’s international pig breeding business in 2014 and diversify into holiday lets. Opening with just three units in 2016, the pair have since added a further 13 luxury log lodges, with the most recent arriving last summer.

Jeremy and Sarah Barber

Hoseasons has been Jeremy and Sarah’s exclusive agent from the start, helping not only to market the location and secure bookings, but also to provide access to its large network of industry contacts and suppliers – something Jeremy says has been vital in achieving Peckmoor’s signature high-end vibe.

“We’ve built a very good exclusive relationship with Hoseasons over the years based on the consistently high number of bookings they achieve for us, but they’ve also helped us enormously by connecting us to trusted partners such as hot tub and accommodation providers – all of whom are vital in us achieving the high standards that keep our customers coming back for more.”

Determination to keep innovating

Luke Hansford was a business development manager when he first visited Jeremy and Sarah at their working farm nine years ago. Now senior vice president business development UK at Hoseasons’ parent company Awaze, he says Peckmoor is the perfect example of what can be achieved when a farmer with land and a drive to succeed works in partnership with the experts in self-catering holiday lets.

“It’s incredible to think what these guys have achieved in what is a comparatively short space of time when it comes to vacation rentals. When I visited for the first time, it was clear Jeremy and Sarah had a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve, but they had a lot of work to do to get there. They were so passionate about the type of location and service they wanted to offer and I’m proud that we’ve been there every step of the way to help them on that journey. Peckmoor really is one of our most outstanding performers in terms of bookings and repeat bookings now and that’s in no small part down to their determination to keep innovating and investing to make sure they stand out from the competition.”

The finer things

Peckmoor is currently part of Hoseasons’ Autograph Lodge Holidays Collection – 62 luxury lodge escapes aimed at couples looking for an indulgent UK getaway featuring the finer things in life, including bubbling hot tubs, fluffy towels and luxury toiletries.

But such has been its popularity in recent years, it will soon feature as one of six locations invited by Hoseasons to launch its soon-to-be available Autograph Plus range – a collection of the ‘best of the best’ Autograph locations that have really gone the extra mile to give their customers an even greater holiday experience.

So, what’s next for Peckmoor? Jeremy knows he has to keep looking forward to stay relevant and attract new customers. The farm already has planning permission for another two lodges and Jeremy is also looking into ways to make the park more energy efficient, but the next innovation looks like it could be of the four-legged variety:

“The fact we are a working farm is a big draw for our guests,” he says, adding: “Not only do they get to relax in a beautiful countryside setting, they also get to experience nature close up in a way many people don’t get a chance to. We’re into the lambing season now and guests also love getting up close to our horses, alpacas, pygmy goats and Highland cattle. I’d also love to get some more exotic animals too. A zebra is on my wish list but I’m going to have to get that one past Sarah before it happens!”

Luke Hansford adds: “We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Peckmoor Farm Lodges, and we share Sarah and Jeremy’s excitement as we look ahead to the future of their holiday  rental accommodation.”

If you have a farm diversification project in mind and would like to find out more about how Hoseasons can help you bring your vision to market, visit their website or contact the team directly.

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The most recent national statistics figures show that the number of standard minor commercial planning decisions – including those for agritourism projects – fell by more than 50% between 2017 and 2022.

Yet, the number of decisions made by local planning authorities after the statutory eight-week limit almost doubled, leaving hundreds of applicants across the country frustrated.

Along with a significant delay in the government’s consultation into permanently extending Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for camping, this means the launch of diversification projects nationwide is being severely hampered.

In 2017, a total of 6,710 standard minor commercial planning decisions were submitted in England, out of which 824 (12.3%) were not decided on within the statutory eight-week period, the figures revealed.

However, by 2022, the number of planning decisions plummeted to just 3,205, with the proportion of those failing to meet the eight-week deadline soaring to 23.1% (739). Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com, said the figures are a ‘kick in the teeth’ for farmers hoping to earn vital revenue from agritourism this year.

“Between 2017 and 2022, the number of standard minor commercial planning decisions more than halved, yet the proportion of those that failed to be decided upon within the statutory time limit almost doubled.

“Whereas some of this is due to the more complex applications being submitted in a different way, the situation overall is absurd,” he remarked.

“You’d have thought with far fewer decisions overall, planning authorities would be able to hit the deadline on all but the most complex of applications. But the figures show this isn’t the case at all, in fact, their performance has sunk to a five-year low which has a huge knock-on effect for farmers trying to set up diversification projects.”

While many farmers apply for full planning permission to set up permanent agritourism projects, others rely on PDR to run seasonal caravan and camping sites. This enables farmers and landowners to run a pop-up campsite for 28 days per year without applying for extra planning permission, however, the cost of hiring facilities often makes this option unprofitable.

Earlier this year, the government launched a consultation into permanently extending PDR to 60 days per year for up to 30 tents, but unfortunately, the outcome will come too late for farmers struggling to make a living this year, Mr Yates said.

“(…) With the consultation likely to take months, the measly 28-day PDR looks set to remain in place for the holiday season, despite bookings levels 40% up on last year,” he noted.

“This is a shame because PDR is often the way by which farmers get into diversification projects. Once they’re successful, they then apply for full planning permission.

“But with the planning system broken too, any application for an agritourism project potentially faces lengthy delays. Extending PDR could have provided a sticking plaster for the situation, enabling farmers to operate a pop-up camping site throughout the summer while waiting for full planning permission to be granted.”

However, this won’t be available due to the delay in the consultation, Mr Yates added, causing many farmers to write off the holiday season this year as an opportunity to earn an extra income stream from diversification.

During the pandemic, the government temporarily extended PDR to 56 days to help the rural economy recover from the impact of successive lockdowns, as well as provide extra capacity for British holidaymakers unable to travel abroad.

Despite the move injecting an additional £25m into the rural economy in 2021, PDR returned to 28 days at the end of that year.

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Opening the conference, Nick Banks, finance partner at accountancy firm Scrutton Bland, highlighted the various challenges presented to farmers over the last 12 months.

These include parliament turmoil, soaring inflation, extreme weather events, avian flu, the Ukraine conflict and skyrocketing prices, all of which have caused input costs to outweigh outputs in many businesses.

As subsidies diminish, Mr Banks stressed tax planning is more important than ever, as well as reviewing the farm financial model on a regular basis.

Other than re-evaluating the cost of production, navigating the next 12 months will mean farmers might have to consider investment in diversification and exploring the opportunities around emerging carbon markets, Mr Banks said. He then handed over to Kerriann McLackland, head of land (South East) at the Environment Bank, who provided further insight.

Biodiversity Net Gain: An on-farm revolution

BNG is set to become a statutory requirement for all developments from November 2023, as outlined in the Environment Act 2021. From this date onwards, developers will be required to demonstrate, as part of their planning obligations, how they’re going to replace any habitat that’s lost during the development and provide an additional 10% gain, with some local authorities seeking to increase this to 20-25%.

While developers should look to minimise habitat loss on-site where possible, many will need to look at off-site opportunities for habitat creation, which is where farmers and landowners can get involved.

According to Ms McLackland, BNG has the potential to provide farmers with a stable income stream amid ongoing uncertainties surrounding environmental schemes and government policy.

“Farmers have the land, skills and knowledge to create and manage habitat, and you can provide that service to developers and receive income in turn under various arrangements,” she explained.

Exploring the concept further, she said developers will need to follow a set mitigation hierarchy, that is:

• Minimise damage within the development
• On-site habitat creation
• Off-site habitat creation
• Statutory credits

The latter will be issued by the government as a last resort to developers with sufficient evidence for using this option. The money paid for the credits will then be used to invest in habitat creation elsewhere in England.

However, this option will come at a significant cost to developers, Ms McLackland said. “The Government wants to deter developers from using statutory credits with pricing them at a level to put them off, as they want to see the market providing the new and additional habitat.”

Meanwhile, Natural England has developed a tool for measuring habitat loss (Biodiversity Metric 4.0), which will also be used by any off-site BNG provider when trading units of biodiversity.

As for what off-site mitigation looks like, Ms McLackland said the land can still remain a farm landscape as long as habitat creation is being managed by the farmer or third party under agreement with the developer.

“It’s very much about farming where your major output shifts to nature conservation with food production being an ancillary output,” she explained, saying the concept is a “flip on its head” from what many farmers are currently doing, where main output is food and secondary outputs are nature and habitat.

BNG models – risks & rewards

According to the speaker, there are three models of how landowners can get involved in providing off-site mitigation, each with different levels of risk and reward. The model most suited to farm businesses will vary with each individual farm, as well as appetites for risk and reward, and how it sits with other business ventures.

The model offering the highest income (and also the highest risk) is the direct sales model, in which farmers are responsible for creating the habitat on their farm. They are also in a direct relationship with the developer, to whom they sell the units of improved ecological value of the land, Ms McLackland said.

As there is no other party involved, this model provides farmers with the highest income from BNG. “On the flip side, it is also the highest risk model, as you would be carrying all the risks of making sure you can create the habitat and bearing all the costs of initial creation and recreation should the habitat fail,” she explained.

In addition, farmers would be directly responsible to the local planning authority for monitoring the site and demonstrating the habitat is meeting the requirements of the Biodiversity Metric. It would also be the farmer’s responsibility to find the developer willing to buy the units they offer, Ms McLackland added.

Another model for trading BNG units is via a brokerage service, where a so-called ‘middle man’ matches up units that farmers have to sell with what developers need and takes a slice of the profit for doing so.

While there are an increasing number of these models, Ms McLackland said they vary with the level of ancillary support they provide and involve a medium-level risk to farmers.

The third and lowest risk model is the Environment Bank approach, where farmers enter into a third-party agreement to share the risk of selling BNG units and receive a secure income in return.

This approach involves signing a 33-year Farm Business Tenancy Agreement with the company that sets out how the land is going to be managed over that time period.

Sharing more detail, Ms McLackland said: “We create the new habitats, meet all the capital costs of creation, then we lease it back to you for 33 years minus a day and you carry out the management.

“The income comes to farmers in two forms: the rent that we pay for the head lease, and the management payments we pay to you to keep the habitat in the agreed condition.”

She added the management plan for the land can be adapted and changed according to the needs of the farm to allow the business to continue to grow. However, entering into the agreement is a long-term commitment, and in many cases, it may involve an intergenerational change to consider, she pointed out.

Integration with other payment schemes

Answering the most common questions around BNG, Ms McLackland said income from habitat creation is stackable with some but not all elements of environmental schemes like Countryside Stewardship. At the same time, farmers will still be able to claim BPS on the managed land for as long as the payment scheme exists.

Regarding the effect of habitat creation on farm productivity, the Environment Bank works with farmers and landowners to ensure the agreement is not only compatible with wider farming activities but enhances those. The scheme is also open to tenant farmers subject to the landowner’s approval.

Once the 33-year agreement expires, farmers are under no obligation to take any further actions, Ms McLackland said. However, the scheme does need to be looked at as a long-term land use change, as legislation such as environmental impact assessments are likely to make it difficult to simply revert the land back to conventional farming, she stressed.

Other risks to consider when it comes to BNG income include:

• Timing – when is the land needed
• Liability – who is responsible if BNG doesn’t occur
• Financial – how secure is the income stream
• Taxation – how will BNG affect CGT and IHT

According to Ms McLackland, the Environment Bank is currently in the process of creating habitat banks in every local planning authority throughout England and has plenty of scope for more sites.

Land that is most likely to be accepted into the scheme are sites with a low ecological value – such as arable sites or grassland with low species diversity – and those that offer some strategic potential in terms of how the land aligns with other existing habitats.

Moreover, the Environment Bank scheme requires a minimum land size of 20ha and no existing schemes that could cause conflict in the agreement. Most importantly, the company is looking for landowners who have the right mindset and are interested in operating this as a diversification on their farm, Ms McLackland concluded.

For more information on how to get involved, visit environmentbank.com.

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Chris Addison-Scott recently received subsidised trees through The Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods scheme to support the transformation of a parcel of arable land on his Fife estate. Funded by Lloyds Bank, the scheme has already helped over 3,000 landowners with their planting projects.

When speaking about balancing the needs of a productive farming business with his nature-based goals, Chris explained the minimal impact the planting scheme has had on the productive farmland. Clever woodland design means his 1,000 new trees will have a significant impact for nature without taking up too much space.

“Several years ago we had sown an area of canary grass and it so happened that this area connected a large piece of woodland on a couple of neighbouring estates.” explained Chris. “By planting more trees it has created a perfect wildlife corridor, linking perhaps over 100 acres of diversified cover.”

Wildlife corridors are important as they bridge the gap between habitats which otherwise would be small and isolated and joins them together. Linking core wildlife habitats helps to restore and preserve biodiversity, allowing movement between important habitats to maintain genetic diversity in wildlife populations.

This in turn attracts beneficial pollinators, which are critical to sustaining agriculture and food production.

Emma Briggs, who manages the Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods scheme, said: “It’s inspiring to see what Chris has done on his farm. These trees will be essential for so many reasons – not least for boosting biodiversity and combating climate change. Our MOREwoods scheme is an easy, effective and low-cost way for landowners to bring more nature to their land.”

Chris’ family has been farming on the Kinloss Estate for generations – since his great-grandfather bought the farm in 1887. In those days it was mainly down to grass but his father started to actively farm in the mid-1960s, something that Chris has continued. The business has now evolved into a mixed farm growing cereals and broccoli, with additional parcels let out land for grazing.

Most of the farm is now tended by contractors as opposed to direct employees, as Chris’s day-job as a Land Agent for Galbraith takes up much of his time. However, he and his wife Margo, have also diversified into other ventures, letting out holiday cottages on the site. The farm is blessed with wildlife features as the couple had already created water habitats and hedgerows. There is a burn – or stream – which runs through the farm and an old mill pond which was restored in the 1990s.

The Addison-Scott’s have continued their passion for championing the countryside by hosting the Fife Show, which they began around 15 years ago. The event connects locals, attracting about 10,000 visitors on show day in May, as well as showcasing their land.

Chis has placed strong importance on ensuring a high survival rate of his new trees. To protect the saplings from predators, tree guards have been incorporated into the scheme, but Chris has gone one step further to protect his new crop, adding: “We’re able to inspect the site at least once a fortnight to carry out any repairs to the tubes. So far after one growing season the new trees are doing really well, with perhaps less than 5 per cent losses.”

Chris first heard about MOREwoods through his advisor at Lloyds Bank, who fund the scheme. Liking the low levels of bureaucracy often associated with other woodland schemes, he decided to pursue a project. “It really has worked for us,” he added. “I would definitely recommend it as a way to increase nature on your land.”

How can I benefit?

If, like Chris, you’re looking to boost biodiversity on your land, The Woodland Trust can provide the advice and support you need to plant with confidence.  Their flagship schemes, MOREwoods and MOREhedges, have already helped UK landowners to plant over 3,500 hectares of new native woodland and 500km of hedgerow. Find out how you can benefit.

MOREwoods

The MOREwoods scheme is ideal for anyone planting over half a hectare of woodland. Whether you want to plant a shelterbelt or harvest your own woodfuel, the Trust can provide tailored advice and support, including:

• A dedicated project officer who’ll guide your application from start to finish.
• Help to design your woodland and select the best species mix.
• Delivery of your trees and plant protection to suit you.
• Up to 75% subsidy if you plant yourself, or 60% if you would like a contractor to plant the trees.

MOREhedges

Alternatively, if you are looking to plant over 100m of hedgerow, the MOREhedges scheme provides:

• A standard hedgerow mix of native shrub species.
• Your choice of species of full height trees, to be interspersed in the row.
• Appropriate protection, including spirals, canes, tubes and stakes.
• Funding of up to 75% of the cost of the project.

Apply now to receive your trees this planting season.

MOREwoods and MOREhedges are funded by Lloyds Bank to support sustainable farming.

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© Rees Keene/Over Farm.

Fifth generation farmer Rees Keene grows around 170 acres of mainly pumpkins and soft fruit on a farm business tenancy with his neighbours. Over Farm, which is located about a mile west of the city of Gloucester also grows some asparagus, rhubarb and sweetcorn.

Over the years, as the farm has increasingly struggled to compete with supermarkets in its farm shop, it has introduced a growing number of different businesses. Juggling five businesses has been a real challenge, especially keeping on top of the finances, Rees says.

To help avoid oversights they do a monthly profit analysis and weekly reports, increasing to daily during their Halloween events.

Rees Keene farms 170 acres, growing pumpkins and soft fruit.

Challenges prompt new ventures

It dates back to the 1920s when Rees’s great great grandfather farmed arable crops and livestock.

At one point in the late 80s the farm was around 1,000 acres but by the early 2000s the business was being propped up by the farm shop and diversifications due to challenges facing arable farming at the time, Rees explains.

It was then that they began branching out with further diversifications, including growing Christmas trees for retail, and hosting Easter and Halloween events such as Frightmare and Spookyard (aimed at 2–8 year olds), which have become increasingly popular over the years.

With the farm shop struggling to compete with supermarkets, Over Farm has continued to develop its diversifications over the years, adding a wedding venue in 2010, catering business, and last year a farm park which incorporates ‘pick your own’.

The farm’s most successful and well-known diversification, PYO pumpkins, got started because it was struggling to compete with cheap pumpkins being sold in supermarkets. They began offering a PYO and pumpkin carving experience for a small extra fee.

Over Farm also grows Christmas trees for retail. © Rees Keene

They had a wakeup call in 2020, Rees says, as despite the covid-19 pandemic preventing them from running the Halloween events, they bought more pumpkins in 2020 than they had sold in 2019. This success has continued beyond the pandemic, Rees says.

“That was kind of a wakeup call that pumpkins were going to be really successful for us, so we build on it the following year and will do so again this year, which is quite exciting.”

Passion is key for new businesses

Diversification is a big change for anyone who’s a farmer at heart and while you can apply your learned business acumen, everything else will be different, Rees advises.

For those planning a new venture he says: “Although it’s obvious, doing your homework and making sure of your finances are in order will be essential. Also making sure that the business is something you really want to do, because you’ll have to put in a lot more work than you can ever believe would be necessary.

“So if it’s not your passion and you’re not fully on board, maybe it’s not the right choice.”

Talking to other farmers and seeking support from relevant organisations such as the National Farm Associations’ Network and the Farm Retail Association is a good idea, he adds.

“The members are often very open and will talk a lot about the challenges they had to overcome via WhatsApp and Facebook groups. That is probably better than relying on support from official channels or trying to rely on the government to point you in the right direction.”

Over Farm’s Halloween events have become increasingly popular over the years. © Rees Keene

Key issues facing farmers

Farmers have faced a range of challenges in recent years, from the fall outs of Brexit, covid-19 and the Ukraine war to the cost-of-living crisis and avian influenza outbreak.

Added to this is the phase out of subsidies and, as Rees points out, the loss of plant protection products making it difficult for growers to be profitable. “Suddenly a product is wiped out that we knew allowed us to generate X amount of profit, and we need to put more of other products on or potentially look at other methods such as insects which cost more.”

These issues are pushing more farmers to diversify in order to generate revenue, yet many are facing problems here too as a result of red tape in the planning process.

A big question, Rees says, is which direction does the government and country as a whole want farmers to go in? Is it food production or diversification?

Difficulties with the planning system were recently demonstrated very publicly in the latest series of Clarkson’s Farm, which highlights Jeremy Clarkson’s unsuccessful attempts to open a farm restaurant and build a car park for his popular on farm shop.

Plans for the future

Looking ahead to the future, Rees says he is interested in exploring glamping. The site already has some accommodation with four bedrooms available for weddings but Rees believes they could offer a more flexible experience with glamping.

Offering an indoor play area at the farm park for poor weather days is another area Rees plans to look at in future, as well as potentially something Christmas focused. However, with Halloween being such a busy time on the farm, acquiring sufficient staff for Christmas events could be a challenge.

For more diversification stories click here.

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Children staying at a working farm feeding the animals. According to farmers who run agritourism diversification projects, staying on a working farm is playing a vital role in educating the public about what farmers do and where their food comes from.

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Lesley Nicholas, owner of Girt Down Farm in Devon.

Although 80% of farm holders are men, agritourism and the outdoor accommodation sector appears to offer equal opportunities for both men and women. Dr Maura Farrell, leading researcher of a recent study in Ireland, believes women have played a key role in driving growth in the agrotiurism sector.

“Women are willing to go beyond the tradition and engage in diversification, giving rise to this idea of a progressive feminism within agriculture for women,” she remarked.

With farmers facing reductions in subsidies, increasing costs and unpredictable weather throughout the year, agritourism is becoming a popular form of diversification on farms.

According to new data from UK-based holiday booking website Pitchup.com, women own more than half of the campsites listed on the platform, which is among the highest figures across Europe. Women make up just 26% of campsite owners on the site in Germany, 28% in Spain, 36% in Italy and 41% in France.

Brodie Farrow, brand marketing manager at Pitchup, commented: “The feedback we’ve heard from site owners in the UK is that our sector provides enjoyable and often lucrative careers for women, so we’re glad to see that the results reflect this.

“In fact, our top earning campsite so far this year is owned by a woman, with sales topping £160,000. Pitchup itself is made up of 60% women, many in senior leadership roles, which we are very proud of.”

Harriet Cunningham, owner of Benville Manor Camping, pictured with her daughter.

One such woman taking the lead in campsite ownership is Harriet Cunningham, owner of Benville Manor Camping, which she runs with her daughter. The diversification project started during Covid when people couldn’t holiday abroad, leading to the family turning a wildflower meadow into the perfect camping site.

“Everyone got involved – it was a multi-generational family project,” Ms Cunningham recalled.

“It was extraordinary really how many people turned up unprepared. A lot of young families came from Bristol for their first ever camping trip, in order to escape the city. In the beginning we lent out a lot of wellies, jumpers and extra pairs of socks! Once people got the hang of it, it was lovely to see how everyone embraced being out in the wild.

“I think it’s a great industry to work in as a woman. It’s not easy – you have to clean a lot of toilets and clear up a lot of rubbish – but it’s very sociable and so rewarding seeing how much people enjoy the experience you’ve created,” she added.

Lesley Nicholas, owner of Girt Down Farm in Devon, also turned to camping as a way to create an additional income stream during the pandemic.

“I first came across Pitchup in the summer of 2020. With the pandemic meaning no one could go abroad, I knew there were problems getting accommodation locally. Always looking for ways to diversify, I thought a campsite could work for us.

“I decided to fill in an application, having told my husband I was doing so (who wasn’t too keen on losing a farming field!). After adding some pictures, I was advised that it would be live on the website by tea time.”

Having no expectations going into the project, Ms Nicholas was surprised by the response she got from Pitchup.com users.

“I thought I would be lucky to get 5 or 6 bookings a week, little did I know by the time I went to bed that evening I had 30 bookings with the first arriving in the morning!

“We have been open for 3 summers now and have enjoyed it immensely.”

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Paediatric physiotherapists Wendy Joy and Jane Reynolds with copies of the new book at Farmer Palmer’s.

The colourful book, called I Love Visiting My Farm Park!, shows how to integrate essential foundation movement skills through play, practice, learning and experiences – all available at the farm park – to help children prepare for school and beyond.

It is the result of a collaboration between Sandra Palmer-Snellin at Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, and paediatric physiotherapists Wendy Joy and Jane Reynolds, who explained their work helping children gain essential motor skills.

They were able to link key motor skills practice to the various areas of the farm park, and showed how important the physical experiences at the farm are.

The book’s launch marks Farmer Palmer’s 25^th birthday. Sandra, whose family owns the farm, says:

“For the past 25 years, generations of children have grown up at Farmer Palmer’s. We’ve had employees that are coming back with their children, and I thought ‘what better way than to now integrate Storycises’ skills and our 25 years with this beautiful creation as a celebration?’”

“We all know that ‘play’ is crucial full-body exercise that develops problem-solving skills. Children are like sponges, soaking up everything as they learn new things. At Farmer Palmer’s they can be curious and investigate, explore, run, climb, communicate, and develop imagination and creativity.”

Sandra Palmer-Snellin, of Farmer Palmer’s.

Jane and Wendy created the Bournemouth company Storycises after seeing increasing numbers of children referred to physiotherapy due to difficulties with fine and gross motor skills over a decade ago. The number of children being referred has increased dramatically since the pandemic.

Jane says: “If our children are to be robust and healthy young people, they need to be more physical and experience a wide range of movements from birth onward. They need time to experiment, practice and consolidate their motor skills with those adults around them scaffolding them to do this. Farmer Palmer’s provides so many opportunities to do this in a fun and exciting way.”

Wendy adds: “Now families will be able to take away a special memory of their visit to Farmer Palmer’s while helping their children to gain essential movement skill practice.

“We love the family sense to Farmer Palmer’s. Every time we met, Sandra would talk about family and the intergenerational activities, and in our work, we’re always talking about modelling. Modelling behaviour, modelling play and modelling the joy in movement, so the collaboration links in well with that.”

Copies of I Love Visiting My Favourite Farm Park! are available to buy from Farmer Palmer’s onsite shop and website store.

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In the summer of 2020, as the world still reeled from Covid-19, permitted development rights – which allow farmers to operate a temporary campsite for up to 28 days without further planning permission – were extended to 56 days.

Although this generated an estimated £25 million for the rural economy, the government reverted to the original 28 days in December 2021. But as farmers face the loss of subsidies and cost of living crisis, many are urging the government to permanently extend PDR. A consultation on the issue was launched this week.

1. With PDR only allowing a maximum of 28 days, what problems does this create for farmers trying to diversify with pop-up campsites etc?

The cost of providing services such as mobile toilet and shower blocks and water supplies is significant, which is difficult to recoup if sites can only operate for 28 days a year. Demand for camping is determined by the weather, so a few wet weeks can wipe out any profit. Furthermore, because it can be prohibitively expensive to remove facilities temporarily; considerable periods are lost to low mid-week demand and erecting/dismantling facilities.

These factors make 28 days unviable for many farmers, since they’re unable to make full use of the summer weather.

2. How might diversifying farm businesses be affected if the rights are not extended?

The situation has been heightened by the impending loss of subsidies and soaring inflation, for example the cost of renting portable facilities, making it harder to turn a profit. Without the additional days, many will be unable to open a campsite this year – a huge blow to their business, to new converts to farm camping, and to their local community.

Some are applying for planning permission, but we’ve heard countless stories of applications being delayed for months, even years. In fact, the proportion of minor commercial planning applications in England that breached the eight-week limit was 50% higher last year than before the pandemic, despite 12% fewer applications*, meaning that applying for planning permission is unlikely now to be feasible this year.

3. How would farmers benefit if PDR are extended?

During the pandemic farmers made an average of £13,000 from a 56-day pop-up campsite, but many made significantly more.

Owners Carwyn and Leanne Miles said that their campsite, Eco Caerhys Camping, “made around £43,000 in those 56 days and after paying all of the bills (logs, campfires, toilet hire, drain digger, cleaning products) […] profited a fantastic £36,000.” They added that as farmers, this extension “has made a massive difference”. The revenue provided by the pop-up campsite made them “financially able to keep the farm going that bit longer and support our family better”.

Explaining why the pop-up sites are an excellent way to diversify income, they said: “If we were to invest into the cattle, we would have to restructure the whole business and become a herd of about 75–100 head of cattle. We would have to build more sheds to sleep all of the cattle and this would cost around about £220,000–270,000 and would still not make as much money as the campsite did in those 56 days. It would also put our family into a huge, constant, never-ending debt which would be impossible to ever pay back.”

And there are benefits beyond financial stability; many reported that they enjoyed having people around, sharing their site with campers and educating them about the running of the farm. It’s great for farmers as it is sparking a real interest in what they do, and for consumers who have the opportunity to learn about food production while enjoying the chance to relax in beautiful surroundings.

4. What difficulties is the current uncertainty over PDR causing farmers who are trying to diversify this summer?

On 28th February, the UK government launched a consultation to permanently extend Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for tent camping from 28 days to 60 days. Although they seem to have been procrastinating a bit, and have left little time to complete the consultation in time for this year’s holiday season, the fact that it is now finally underway is great news.

We encourage all interested parties to take part in the consultation, and we hope the government will see fit to write this into the statute book. In Wales, the consultation on permanently extending 56-day permitted development rights ended over a year ago (15th February 2022) and sadly we are still yet to hear the result. In April 2022, the Minister for Climate Change said: “A government response will be issued later this year”, which hasn’t happened (https://record.senedd.wales/WrittenQuestion/85047).

We are asked about the issue on a daily basis by farmers and landowners who want to set up a campsite. They are frustrated by the slow progress, particularly as the 28-day limit for marquees at bars, cafes, pubs, and historic visitor attractions has been lifted altogether, allowing them to stay up all year round, a consultation that took just three months to implement in 2021. All they’re asking for is equal treatment.

The government needs to act fast as delays means sites are already missing out on bank holiday bookings for 2023 – bookings in February on Pitchup.com are 55% higher than last year. As the government’s own consultation document states: “Over the past two years England has seen a renewed demand for domestic holidays, and holidaymakers have enjoyed trips to our magnificent coastlines, countryside, towns and cities. As the country faces new economic challenges, the government recognises the importance of supporting the local tourism industry and domestic holidaymakers to ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy summer breaks in England.”

If the government leaves it too late before confirming the extension, the amenities that landowners may need to rent may not be available later in the season e.g. shower units and toilets.

The delay has caused unnecessary stress for farmers who are facing one of the most turbulent times in the industry’s history.

5. What would you like to see the government do to address these issues?

 We would like to see the outcome of the Welsh consultation which closed on 15th February 2022 and which was promised by the end of last year, and timely implementation of the government’s proposals to support pop-up camping for summer 2023, following the consultation just launched in England.

The move to extend permitted development rights is supported by senior politicians in the Tory Party including the secretary of state for DLUHC, Michael Gove. When questioned on the topic by Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, in May last year Mr Gove replied: “I now know what my Easter plans will be, and he’s absolutely right that making sure that we can, through the exercise of permitted development rights, provide people with the opportunity to holiday in places as beautiful as North Yorkshire is an entirely welcome development.”

*Table P120B https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics

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The consultation, which would see temporary campsites restricted to a maximum of 30 pitches, was promised by the government last year with an aim of supporting pop-up camping in summer 2023.

The move has been welcomed by outdoor accommodation provider Pitchup.com, which has been lobbying the government for a permanent extension to PDR for more than a year.

Founder Dan Yates said: “The government said it would consult on this issue last year, and said the consultation would be in time to support pop-up camping for summer 2023. Although they seem to have been procrastinating a bit, and have left little time to complete the consultation in time for this year’s holiday season, the fact it is now underway is great news.”

Under the current regulations, farmers and landowners can operate temporary campsites for up to 28 days each year for an unlimited number of tents without applying for planning permission.

But this was extended to 56 days in June 2020 to help the rural economy recover from the covid pandemic and to provide extra capacity for tourists to holiday in the UK as international travel ceased.

The move saw an estimated £25m injected into the UK’s rural economy in 2021, but PDR returned to 28 days at the end of that year.

Mr Yates added: “Extending PDR had a huge benefit for farmers, landowners, and other rural businesses such as pubs, and provided an escape for many Covid-weary holidaymakers.

“It wasn’t only campsite owners and operators that benefited. Our research showed that almost half of the spend generated by temporary campsites went into the local economy, with local shops, pubs and restaurants all enjoying higher sales.

“Now, during the cost-of-living crisis and at a time when farmers are reeling over the winding-down of Basic Payments, unprecedented input costs and a labour crisis, extending PDR permanently could provide a lifeline for them, and a cost-effective break for people unable to afford a foreign holiday.”

As part of the consultation, the government is proposing to extend PDR to 60 days per year, but limiting temporary campsites to 30 tents to ‘minimise the potential impacts of campsites on local communities’.

The consultation also proposes requiring temporary on-site facilities, including showers, toilets, and waste storage and collection to be provided.

The government is inviting response to the consultation by 25th April 2023, ideally via an online survey.

Mr Yates said the new regulations would have far-reaching, positive consequences for farmers, rural businesses, rural communities and holidaymakers if they got the go-ahead.

“Extending PDR like this is a win for all,” he said. “It proved to be extremely effective during the pandemic and right now, with everyone facing difficult times – not least farmers – it would have profoundly positive long-term impacts for our rural communities.

“We encourage all interested parties to take part in the consultation, and we hope the government will see fit to write this into the statute book.”

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