Mobile food and drink van at Barnets Wood B4235 Mounton Brook To Chepstow

“Change of use of part of car parking area in Great Barnets Wood for the provision of one mobile food/drink van in the car park at Great Barnets Wood. There are no new hardstandings or permanent structures proposed. The van/trailer will not be permitted to park overnight, proposed seasonal opening hours of 9am to 5pm. There will be no electricity supply and no diesel or external generators…”

“The application site relates to a car park that serves the woodland area that is Barnets Wood near Chepstow. The site is accessed via a length of track approximately 100m, that joins the public highway along the classified B4235. The car park and surrounding woodlands is managed by NRW. The car park is informal with no delineation of car parking spaces. The application site is situated in the open countryside and in the Wye Valley National Landscape.”

“The application seeks full planning permission for the change of use of part of the woodland car park to site a catering van between the months of March and October from 9am to 5pm every day during that time. The site is in an area of open countryside. In this instance the proposed catering van is a use not a building and is considered for the purposes of supporting recreation and tourism.”

“The intensity of the operation is limited by its scale, hours of operation, operational constraints (no toilets, running water etc.), and siting, which is on an unclassified highway off the main highway and screened by surrounding trees with no clear viewpoints of the site from the main highway.”

“The size of the car park is pretty small and is accessed from a steep, narrow, derestricted lane, with no passing places and a national speed limit in place. The proposed food outlet would harm established local pubs and restaurants, only a few minutes’ drive from the area. While the applicant says they will consider applications from local bidders, it is more likely the proposal will be harmful to local businesses.”

“Fire Risk within a Woodland Setting - Mobile catering units typically use LPG gas cylinders, cooking oils and heat-producing cooking equipment. The introduction of such activities within or immediately adjacent to woodland vegetation raises legitimate concerns regarding fire risk. During periods of dry weather woodland areas can be particularly vulnerable to fire spread.”

“We considered the report of the application and late correspondence which was recommended for approval subject to the conditions outlined in the report with condition 5 being amended as follows:”

“In noting the detail of the application and the views expressed, it was proposed by County Councillor Emma Bryn and seconded by County Councillor Su McConnel that application DM/2025/01041 be approved subject to a 3-year temporary period of consent as well as being subject to the conditions outlined in the report with condition 5 being amended as follows:”

“Upon being put to the vote, the following votes were recorded:”

“We resolved that application DM/2025/01041 be approved subject to a 3-year temporary period of consent as well as being subject to the conditions outlined in the report with condition 5 being amended as follows:”