Dear Supporters

Here is the latest update on developments at Salcombe Regis Camping & Caravan site. 

In the last update in May 2025, EDDC made the decision to support the camp site developers by agreeing they could remove the crucial 1988 seasonal condition that had prevented caravans being used over the winter months as had been the case since the site opened in 1960. Essentially the planning officer decided that a policy that encouraged all year tourism ‘trumped’ existing policies and designations that were designed to protect this very special place! We obviously fundamentally disagree with his assessment and believe it is the duty of EDDC Planners to stand up to pressure from developers and protect special unspoilt places such as this for the generations that follow.

However, despite achieving their goal (to remove the winter restrictions for static caravans/lodges); the site owners decided to Appeal the decision regarding a new condition on the planning permission that limited the time any individual or group could stay in the lodges (up to 25 weeks in any year). This new condition, we believe, was to ensure that the lodges would be used for ‘holiday purposes’ as intended rather than to become second homes or de facto main residential homes. The site owners, who have put the whole site on the market, clearly do not want any restrictions that limit the use of the lodges and potentially reduce their market value. 

The matter has now being referred to the Planning Inspector who we hope will be able to take a fresh look at what is going on at the site. 

We still maintain that for such a major change to the way the site operates, full planning permission should have been submitted so the many impacts on the village and the fragile surrounding landscape could be aired properly in public. This fundamental change to the village (almost doubling the number of homes) should not have rested on the simple removal of a condition on an historic permission and should not been accepted by EDDC. We hope that Planning Inspector will look favourably at the legitimate concerns put forward by the many who wish to protect this very special place.

Thank you so much to all who have supported this campaign so far.