The owners of a Yorkshire Dales campsite have submitted new plans to allow campervans after withdrawing an earlier application over concerns about their impact on the national park landscape.

Wharfe Camp, in Kettlewell, is seeking permission to allow small campervans to use its existing ten camping pitches, which are currently restricted to tents.

The owners say the change would help extend the camping season, support local businesses and provide more affordable accommodation for visitors to the Dales.

The campsite was granted planning permission in 2017 for ten tent pitches and two camping pods, with permission for a further pod approved in April this year.

placeholder image — Wharfe Camp in Kettlewell.

However, an application to accommodate campervans was withdrawn in October 2025 after planning officers indicated it would not be recommended for approval.

The previous concerns centred on the visual impact of campervans, which were considered bulky and out of keeping with the rural landscape.

The applicants now argue that the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s new local plan for 2025 to 2040 takes a more sympathetic approach towards smaller campervans.

Supporting documents state that the revised policy distinguishes between campervans and larger motorhomes and touring caravans, recognising that smaller vehicles are generally less prominent in the landscape.

The owners say the site is already well screened by mature hedging and that campervans would be restricted to pitches offering the greatest protection from public view.

Vehicles would also be limited to a maximum length of 5.3 metres, smaller than the six-metre definition of a campervan used in the planning policy.

The application states: “Wharfe Camp is a small, quiet, low density campsite set in rural surroundings on the edge of Kettlewell, suitable for visitors seeking peace and tranquillity.”

It adds that pets, group bookings and visitors are not permitted to maintain the site’s peaceful atmosphere.

The owners say tent bookings are largely concentrated on weekends and bank holidays between April and September, leaving pitches underused during quieter periods.

They believe allowing campervans would improve occupancy, extend the season and benefit local shops, pubs and other businesses.

They also argue that providing designated campervan pitches could help reduce unauthorised overnight parking elsewhere in the National Park.

The documents claim campervans are regularly turned away from the campsite and are sometimes subsequently seen parked overnight in Kettlewell’s National Trust car park.

No additional pitches are proposed, with the existing ten spaces accommodating either tents or small campervans.

The application will be considered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.