GLAMPING will continue at Warwick Castle despite opposition.
Warwick District Council recently approved plans for 37 glamping tents to remain on the Foxes Study area of the grounds, near the river, which have been welcoming overnight summer visitors since 2015. It comes just one year after plans to build 28 permanent medieval themed lodges on the same site were approved.
But Warwick District Council’s Conservation Advisory Forum (CAF), made up of local heritage groups which includes the Warwick Society, expected the glamping to end when planning permission ran out this year.
A spokesman said: “The change of use for glamping, combined with the permanent lodges, results in an over-intensification of the use, which harms the experience of being in the grade one park.
“The number of tents result in a potentially squalid appearance and harm views from the other side of the river, and will potentially result in substantial harm to the significance of the grade I park.
“Part of the justifications for the permanent lodges was that glamping tents would be removed and this should happen.”
Their comments followed a statement from Historic England in which it called for glamping to end.
Warwick Society chairman James MacKay agreed the tents had no place at the historic site.
He said: “The use of a grade I registered landscape as a holiday camp is contrary to plans to look after the land.
“It is a great shame and disrespectful to the landscape. There are many more plans and the castle is being turned into a theme park.”
Castle bosses said they had no comment as the end of glamping at the site was never a requirement from Warwick District Council planning officers.
The castle is also currently looking at the possibility of building a hotel with up to 80 rooms in the grounds.
