A farm near Southwold is hoping to turn an agricultural field into a glamping site with nine pods and up to 35 pitches for normal camping and campervans.

Broadside Park Farm also want to repair and renovate an existing agricultural barn to provide a washroom, bike store, campsite reception and shop facilities.

The application is a resubmission of a withdrawn plan from earlier this year. Previously AV Tomson and Partners applied for a 45-pitch glamping site but there were a number of concerns from community leaders.

The 2.34-hectare land in Lowestoft Road, Reydon, now hopes to have nine glamping pods set in an informal configuration around an area of new wildflower meadow to the east of the site.

To the west, a new camping field is proposed, offering a maximum of 35 ‘rally style’, unmarked and not delineated, camping pitches.

These camping pitches will be reserved for tents and campervans but not caravans.

The development would not require any trackway or areas of hardstanding within the field, other than small crushed stone pads on which the pods would sit, with pathways between the pods and across the site defined by a long/short mowing regime.

In the planning application it states that it is: "increasingly important for smaller, family-run farms such as the applicants’ to diversify their income stream, invest to deliver efficiencies in their farming practices and make best use of their land.

"Given its location on the coast, provision of tourism accommodation presents an opportunity which will work well around the agricultural operations and provide a useful additional income stream which is not dependant on the agricultural economy, and supports existing businesses in the local area."

The planning application concludes that: "This revised proposal is considered to represent a scheme which would deliver net landscape and biodiversity gain over the lifetime of the development, as well as make a contribution to sustaining the local economy. The development requires only a small amount of new development and makes best use of a currently underused agricultural barn to accommodate facilities needed to serve the campsite."

To view the application search 'DC/21/4797/FUL' of the East Suffolk Council's planning portal.