Owners of converted railway carriage near Ely that featured on Channel 4’s George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces try again for planning permission

The owners of a former railway carriage converted into a holiday home that featured on Channel 4 show George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces are continuing a fight to get planning approval.

An old Great Western Railway carriage was converted by Andrea Pearman and Richard Coleman into two holiday lets at Commrooks Farm, in Straight Drove, Coveney.

But they failed to get planning approval first. When they applied to East Cambridgeshire District Council for retrospective planning permission last year, their application was refused due to the high risk of flooding and questions over the justification for the holiday lets.

The council said: “The proposed development is unsustainably located, sited within the open countryside and a significant distance from the closest services and facilities.

“Additionally, insufficient justification has been provided as to demonstrate the need for the proposed accommodation in this location.”

Ms Pearman has now reapplied, explaining in the application that holiday accommodation in old railway carriages was becoming a “popular form of ‘staycation’ in the UK in a post-pandemic world”.

The plans said: “The very raison d’être of this type of holiday accommodation is to offer a remote, rural ‘get-away-from-it-all’ experience.

“It does not generate excessive vehicle trips, as that is contrary to the purpose of this type of holiday, however, the village of Little Downham and the city of Ely are only a few miles away, with a range of shops and eating opportunities.”

The owners say they want to provide “high quality unique tourism accommodation”, including offering the opportunity for people to bring their horses when they come to stay.

One of the holiday lets is dog friendly and the owners said there limited options for dog owners wanting to stay nearby.

They said the railway carriage was in flood zone one, which was at lower risk of flooding than the surrounding area, and noted there were no alternative sites.

The Carriage Ely featured on the George Clark’s Amazing Spaces on 27 July.

The owners said at the time: ““George was overwhelmed and said on first impression of the carriage it was ‘phenomenal!’”

The council will now consider the latest application.