March couple aim to bring luxury glamping to the Fens
A couple is hoping to provide an “unrivalled high-end luxury glamping experience” right here in Fenland.
Nigel and Nikki Davies, who run Fenland Wind and Air Sport Centre, off Cross Road, in March, are hoping Fenland District Council’s planners will back their plans to create Big Skies Glamping on their site.
The couple, who have been running their training school and Blokarts East Anglia Land Yachting Activities Centre business for the past 11 years, have applied for planning permission for a change of use for some of their land to a campsite for the siting of five touring caravans, three glamping pods, two shepherd huts, an outdoor kitchen, and a new toilet block involving the demolition of an existing toilet block and the formation of a grave driveway.
In a statement submitted as part of a design and access report alongside the application, Mr Davies said he and his wife have conducted extensive research by travelling around the country visiting other glamping sites and looking at the facilities they offered.
They visited 16 sites in total and Mr Davies said: “We learnt a lot about the marketplace with help from other glamping site owners who openly discussed their own businesses and booking systems. We were extremely surprised at the huge differences in quality, size and facilities offered by each site.
“One major market research factor that was the major decision maker for us to heavily invest in our Big Skies Glamping Site was that there were only five high-end luxury glamping sites, and these were all solidly booked for between 12-18 months in advance.
“However, the run-of-the-mill mid to low-end glamping sites with low-end quality accommodation with little to no facilities had lots of availability even in peak seasons.
“It seems that customers are prepared to pay for the extra luxury which is what glamping is really all about and we feel that we can fill this gap in the market in the Cambridgeshire and Norfolk area of the country where this range of luxury glamping is not currently available at the level which we intend to offer.”
The proposed pitches will be strategically positioned to maximise what he describes as their unique selling point – “our fantastic unique open countryside sunrise and sunset views”.
Mr Davies goes on: “At Big Skies Glamping we aim to produce an unrivalled high-end luxury glamping experience in the East Anglia Area offering, luxury furnished accommodation including king or superking size beds, luxury linen, furnishings and fittings. Full in-house quality kitchens and cooking facilities, luxury walk-in oversized shower enclosures, with toilet and hand basin in the private ensuite washing facilities.
“The pod lounge area leads out through the large double glazed arched side entrance double doors onto an outdoor private decked seating area with privacy screening each end, the decking will have a dining table and chairs along with recliner sunbeds and at the other end of the decking a luxury hot tub leading onto a large outdoor private grassed area.”
“We plan to run the majority of the glamping site from self-generated solar-powered green energy.
“These luxury facilities and high-quality finished accommodation is what seems to be the draw that has achieved permanent 12–18-month long-term bookings for the other five sites around the UK that we visited and what we have based our new luxury glamping site on.”
Mr Davies said it is hoped the onsite glamping and camping facilities will enhance their already successful training School and Blokarts and land yachting activities centre.
He also added: “This new development will bring more revenue into the March area as we will have more customers visiting the area with this new attraction. For our glamping and camping customers, what a fantastic site we have as all of our activities are readily available to be used, by all of our glamping and camping visitors whilst they stay with us on site.”
Finally, he said once up and running the glamping site will create new jobs including cleaners, and housemaids.
Local tradesmen will be used to create the new site and they will also be employing a maintenance person to look after the grounds.
Last year Mr and Mrs Davies were given permission to build a home on the site after living in temporary accommodation following a fire at the former home in Almond Drive.