Planning permission for glamping pods as part of farm diversification plans could be on the cards after councillors visited the site this month.

Ceredigion County Council planning officers had recommended refusal for an application for three glamping pods at Pendre, Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn, but councillors decided to carry out a site visit before making a final decision.

This followed discussions at August’s development management committee where local member Cllr Merion Davies and applicant Tom Evans both spoke, and a number of members headed to Pendre on 2 September.

The application will now be decided at next week’s committee with a report stating “members of the oanel were unanimously of the opinion that the application site was the most suitable location for the provision of the glamping pods and would not adversely impact the immediate landscape. The Panel were of the view that the application could be supported.”

The proposed pods will be two sizes – suitable for couples and families – and are single storey, timber clad units, with hot tubs, designed to “face the view,” a planning report states.

A applicant statement adds: “Having been farming sheep for ten years at Pendre we have made the decision that we would like to diversify the business away from depending on sheep sales to holiday accommodation.

“We have made this decision due to the fluctuation and volatility of the market and a huge increase in costs for feed fertilizers and animal husbandry sundries. we believe this is the right decision to make in order to ensure that the farm is viable to sustain future generations at Pendre’.”