An aristocrat and one-time star of The Archers has convinced councillors to go against official advice and approve a treehouse glamping site near a nature reserve on his estate.
Delaval Astley, the 23rd Baron Hastings, wants to create a site with up to 14 treehouses on his woodland at Swanton Novers, near Fakenham.
Lord Hastings’ family estate is said to be one of the oldest in Norfolk, dating back to 1236.
He will be better known to some for his two years in the early 1990s starring in the BBC's radio soap The Archers.
Lord Hastings played caddish Cameron Fraser, who dumped a pregnant Elizabeth Archer (later Pargetter) at a service station on the M40.
Lord Hastings put in plans for an initial two treehouses to North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) and has said he would like to build more in the future.
But ahead of a meeting on Thursday, development officials at North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) called for the scheme to be rejected, arguing it would not be sustainable as the site was too remote.
They argued the tourists it would attract would not spend enough money locally to justify the scheme.
But following an impassioned plea by Lord Hastings, councillors voted to reject the officers' recommendation and give their approval.
Lord Hastings told the development committee: “Excellent design and the environment concern me. I farm organically, have donated land for affordable housing, I have restored wetland at Stiffkey.
“I need a compatible, sustainable tourism venture to subsidise and diversify my existing farm.”
He argued that officers had exaggerated the detrimental impacts of the treehouses and minimised the vast environmental gain, which he said would improve biodiversity "by 10,000pc".
He added: “In my opinion, the buildings are exemplars of sustainable design, they are tiny, whereas the woods are huge.
“The [officers'] report insists nonsensically that this paradigm of sustainability is, absurdly, not sustainable.”
He had the support of local ward councillor, Vincent FitzPatrick, who called for the committee to approve the plan.
He said calling the plans "treehouses" undermines their value, with them offering an off-grid, sustainable holiday destination and argued that the secluded location was the point of the scheme.
He said: “It wouldn’t work if it was in Tesco's car park now, would it?”
The majority of the members of the committee sided with Mr FitzPatrick and Lord Hastings.
Councillor John Toye said the scheme would bring “genuine benefits” to the local community, tourism and the environment.
It was approved by seven votes for, three against and two abstentions.
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