PLANS for a luxury Exmoor hotel to hold outside parties and fireworks displays have sparked opposition among local residents.

Round Clock Ltd director Jeremy Millins wants to amend planning conditions currently restricting the use of Croydon Hall, a 15-bedroom hotel and spa with five acres of grounds between Roadwater and Withycombe.

Mr Millins wants to be able to put up marquees and tents for outdoor parties and to hold 16 traditional evening firework displays a year plus displays of low-noise whisper fireworks within the hotel grounds and approach road.

Planning agent Joanne Halton, of Halton Planning Services, Dulverton, said the site was not within Exmoor’s designated dark skies reserve nor its buffer zone.

Ms Halton said: “The hotel hosts weddings, retreats, celebrations, and short stay breaks, it is available for staffed hire or on a room only bed and breakfast basis.

“Following the Covid pandemic demand for hotels hosting functions to be able to provide pop-up structures at events has significantly increased.

“Therefore, the restrictions placed on Croydon Hall represent a commercial disadvantage.

“It is important to the success of Croydon Hall as a venue for events such as weddings to be able to offer a more diverse range of spaces including the siting of a marquee or tents in the grounds.”

Ms Halton said a planning condition which required written approval for any fireworks was ‘impractical and unduly restrictive to the business and its desirability as a venue’.

She said: “Since the imposition of this condition there has been a material change in circumstances with the hotel now owning more of the surrounding residential properties.

“In addition, firework technology has also evolved, whisper fireworks are now available which offer reduced noise.

“The modified operational practices will allow the business to meet the demands of its guests and broaden the offering at Croydon Hall while ensuring that local amenity is not compromised.”

But, next-door neighbours Rachel and Per Lindstrand objected to the use of both traditional and whisper fireworks which they feared would scare the horses they kept with possibly ‘catastrophic results’.

They also opposed marquees being allowed in the grounds as it would cause even more daytime noise than they already experienced.

Another neighbour, Vivien Irwin, said Croydon Hall was surrounded by fields grazed by cattle, horses, and sheep where letting off fireworks would terrify them and could cause harm.

Miss Irwin said: “There is also the danger of a stray firework setting fire to the local farmer’s crops, especially at harvest time. ”

She said the proposed marquee for party use would spoil the peace and tranquility of the countryside.

Miss Irwin said: “We do not want our night time hours disturbed by loud music, noisy parties, and the dangers that fireworks would expose us to. ”

Farmer Paul Thomas, who owns land surrounding Croydon Hall, said a guarantee would be needed that firework debris did not land in his fields and pose a threat of being eaten by livestock or a fire risk to unharvested crops.