THE owner of a West Somerset farm park attraction says its future has been put in jeopardy by a council decision not to allow her and her family to continue living in a caravan on the site.

Annabel Cottrell had applied to West Somerset Council for planning permission to keep the static caravan at Doniford Farm Park in which the family have lived since last August.

But her application was turned down by the council’s planning committee last Thursday on the grounds that it was sited in open countryside where development is not generally appropriate, and that it had not been demonstrated there were exceptional circumstances to retain it on a permanent basis.

The family can remain there until building work has been completed but the caravan must then go.

“We are really disappointed the council has not supported a local family, who have taken on 20 new staff and are really supporting bringing more people to the area,” Mrs Cottrell said.

“We respect the council’s decision and will see out the rest of the summer, but not having a residential property here could mean we have to close after that, although we don’t want to.

“We have spent a lot of time, effort and money getting things running, and are supporting other local businesses by buying their fruit, vegetables and meat, stocking their goods in the farm shop – and also providing a facility for local people and visitors that is reasonable and within reach.”

Mrs Cottrell, 32, and her husband Chris took over Doniford Farm Park, which had been closed for some time, in July last year.

It is run in conjunction with Warren Bay Holiday Village, which her family has owned for 31 years.

The couple and their two young children have been living in a two-bedroom caravan between modern farm buildings on the Doniford Farm Park site.

The previous farm park operators live in the adjoining Doniford House, but that was sold separately to a different purchaser.

Mrs Cottrell argued in her planning application that the caravan needed to remain on the site as they were still completing works and they needed to keep a close eye on equipment, buildings and animals.

Full report in the Free Press (August 3)