A local glamping site may be forced to pull down a number of tipis following a decision by council planners. 

Located at Ellenhall Park Farm in Stafford, the site has seen a retrospective planning application refused by Stafford Borough Council. 

The site had applied for temporary permission for six tipis and a composting toilet, saying they would have been in use from early May to the end of October. 

Council officers visited the site last year and found three of the tipis had already been put up on the site. 

According to the application, which was submitted in July 2025, "Ellenhall Park Farm is an 80-acre farm.  

"The majority of the land is down to grass for grazing by cattle and horses, with up to 10 acres cropped annually with cereals (e.g. spring barley).  

"At the farm there are livery stables (hence the grazing by horses) and buildings providing self-storage facilities.  

"The proposal involves a farm tourism enterprise involving up to six tipis.  

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"The tipis (i.e. tents) will be used as stand-alone tourism accommodation, but they will also be marketed to the equestrian market for people to holiday with their horse and hence explore the area using the local bridleways." 

Tents under construction and compostable toilet (image via Stafford Borough Council/Barbers Rural)

The farm is near to many local attractions including Shugborough Hall, Biddulph Grange Gardens and The Monkey Forest at Trentham. 

Within the application it claims: "The proposed farm tourism enterprise at Ellenhall Park Farm shows that the venture has the potential to provide a good source of income and profit for the farm business. 

"The proposal will utilise a small area of land adjacent to an existing woodland area, providing an ideal low-input, environmentally sensitive rural retreat for those seeking a quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, to relieve stress and help with wellbeing by connecting with nature." 

However, on March 2, the application was refused by Stafford Borough Council who said: "The proposal fails to adequately demonstrate a safe and suitable vehicular access and sufficient on-site parking and manoeuvring provision to serve the development." 

Highways officers found that: "The submitted application fails to provide a visibility splay from the existing access on to Lodge Farm Lane in accordance with current National Guidance (Manual for Streets) therefore the application fails to demonstrate a safe and suitable access and therefore increases the risk of highway safety." 

It also found that the site has insufficient space for parking vehicles including horse boxes. 

The council additionally rejected the application because it "fails to provide sufficient information surrounding the impact of the development upon the existing adjacent woodland". 

Click here to see the application in full.