New Somerset campsite approved after planning appeal
Holiday site near the M5 could be built within the next year, after inspectors overturned a council refusal
A new campsite near the M5 in Somerset has been given the green light after a planning appeal overturned a previous refusal.
The seasonal campsite will be built on land off Dipford Road in Trull, between the village and the motorway services near Junctions 25 and 26.
The plans had previously been rejected by Somerset Council in September 2025, but the Planning Inspectorate has now ruled in favour of the revised scheme, clearing the way for construction to begin.
The site will feature ten tent pitches arranged through the centre of the field, along with a temporary shower and toilet block that can be removed outside the tourist season.
The campsite will operate between March and September each year and will include environmental measures designed to reduce its impact on the surrounding countryside.
These include a new wildflower meadow, orchard planting and a treatment system to manage wastewater from the site before it enters nearby watercourses.
Planning Inspector Felicity Webber said changes had been made since an earlier appeal was dismissed in 2023, including reducing the visual impact of the development and increasing landscaping around the site.
In her decision, she concluded that any impact on the character of the area would be limited and that the proposal would support sustainable rural tourism.
The inspector also accepted evidence that measures were in place to prevent additional phosphate pollution affecting protected habitats in the Somerset Levels and Moors.
While the developer's separate request for the council to cover its appeal costs was rejected, the planning approval means the campsite could now be delivered within the next 12 months.
The site is located close to the Galmington Stream and around a mile from a separate planned housing development near Trull Cricket Club.