David Cameron’s neighbours fume over HUGE glamping site in Cotswolds village as residents push back on plans
Nearly 60 residents and Charlbury Town Council have united in opposition to plans for expanding a glamping site near their picturesque Cotswolds village, just two miles from former Prime Minister David Cameron’s home.
Spellbound Glamping Ltd’s proposal to develop an 18-unit site south of Watermead Farm on Spelsbury Road in Charlbury has sparked fierce local resistance.
The development, which would include eight bell tents and seven shepherds huts, has drawn formal objections from neighbours concerned about noise pollution, fire hazards, and environmental impact.
Local residents submitted their complaints to West Oxfordshire District Council, with the Town Council registering its opposition at a Planning Committee meeting on January 22.
A committee of 10 households on Spelsbury Road is leading the fight against the £135-per-night glamping development, citing concerns about the area’s preservation.
Spellbound Glamping, run by husband-and-wife team Graeme Widdows and Fiona Hill, currently offers luxury camping experiences in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Guests can enjoy king-size mattresses, fire pits, badminton facilities and phone charging points inside their tents.
The company claims to have “an established, recent, successful track record of glamping in the local area,” according to their planning documents.
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The site began operating under a Conservative government scheme introduced during Covid to support farmers and promote British staycations.
The Widdows family has deep roots in Charlbury, having farmed there for generations before diversifying into agricultural ventures.
Their planning statement emphasises the development’s “design-led approach” and promises to deliver “healthy, pleasant, distinctive, connected, sustainable and adaptable qualities.”
Hans Eriksson, a 65-year-old engineer and businessman, is spearheading the opposition as leader of the Spelsbury Road residents’ committee.
He told MailOnline the group is considering mounting a legal challenge if West Oxfordshire District Council approves the plans.
In a comprehensive 41-page submission to the council, Eriksson highlighted that 18 campsites offering glamping pods already exist in the area.
Residents were particularly concerned about the timing of the planning consultation, which ran from December 12 to January 9, largely over the Christmas period.
Eriksson questioned the process, noting: “Were they trying to smuggle it through? Why are they acting like it is a foregone conclusion?”
He claimed there had been no yellow notice posted at the site, with neighbours only discovering the application through a Charlbury residents’ forum.
Local resident Philip Ambrose expressed concerns about the applicant’s conduct, stating: “Even before this application was made, the London based applicant showed utter contempt for those living in the vicinity.”
He claimed the pop-up glamping site was started without proper planning consent or consultation.
Rebecca Gilmore, another Charlbury resident, argued the development was inappropriate for the “previously unspoilt area of tranquil woodland.”
She raised concerns about noise control, noting: “on a site which, we believe, will be unsupervised it is hard to see how this will be enforced.”
Gilmore also highlighted fire safety worries, stating that “a fire point equipped with a single fire extinguisher seems woefully inadequate,” particularly given climate change risks.
She further alleged that the applicant had shown disregard for neighbours, citing “frequent and prolonged firing of guns” and “a major firework display” without warning.
Maria Jurd, a local resident, raised significant concerns about the development’s impact on local wildlife, including a thriving rookery and breeding birds.
“The site is home to green and greater spotted woodpeckers,” Jurd noted in her objection.
She criticised the applicant’s environmental proposals, stating: “The applicant’s proposals for increasing biodiversity appear to be naïve and uninformed.”
Jurd expressed particular concern about the woodland’s management under the current ownership.
“Judging by the poor way in which this delightful wood has been managed by the applicant in the last three years, the future stewardship, in these hands, will be an environmental problem for us all,” she warned.