The owner of a small glamping business has been ordered to remove his tents after a three-year battle with the Broads Authority.

Gavin Church, owner of Glamp at the Priory, lost his fight to keep a set of four bell tents on farmland off Marsh Lane in Aldeby, close to the River Waveney. 

Mr Church, who revealed that he “spent every penny” he had on the venture, had been locked in a battle with the Broads Authority to keep the tents since 2020.

The organisation initially rejected his planning application in 2021 stating that it would “impact the landscape character of the area” and that access roads to the site were inadequate.

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Mr Church then submitted a second application, which tried to address the issues raised but was again rejected.

The business owner then took his case to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which has the power to overrule the decision. 

However, a year after the appeal was submitted, the inspector has ruled in the authority’s favour and the tents will have to be removed. 

In their written decision, the inspector branded the development “not sustainable tourism and recreation development”. 

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They said: “The development harms the character and appearance of the area.  

“It is contrary to [planning policy] which does not permit development proposals that would have an adverse impact on the character of the immediate or wider landscape or the special qualities of the Broads.” 

While the inspector acknowledged that tourism is generally supported within the Broads, they said this only held a “limited degree of weight” in favour of development.  

Mr Church reacted with disappointment at the decision. 

He said: “I have spent thousands of pounds, this is a very small business, I tried to make a little money at a very uncertain time, I spent every penny I had on this. 

“The inspectorate took over a year to assign someone to it and they didn’t seem to take into account any of the evidence and expert reports I submitted to prove that this is a sustainable business."