Santa’s grotto saved from eviction just weeks before Christmas | UK News

A Santa Claus has narrowly escaped eviction from his grotto just before Christmas and winning a planning row with the local council.

‘Santa’s Grotto Frome’ has provided children and families in Somerset the chance to meet with Father Christmas, Mrs Claus and the elves for six years.

This year saw them set up shop at a new site located within Critchill Manor Estate, which consisted of two small wooden buildings.

But when the family-run business applied for planning permission in April, it was rejected by Somerset Council in July due to ‘sustainability concerns’ over the lack of public transport accessible to the site.

Because the grotto is located in a rural area with no public transport links, people would have to rely on cars and private vehicles to visit the site- something which the council said was against their ‘planning policy.’

However, a follow-up application on the decision was voted on Tuesday afternoon (5 Dec) by the East Area Planning Committee – and the planning permission was granted.

Craig Gillett, 61, who is Santa at the Grotto alongside his sister who plays Mrs Claus, said: “We’re thrilled.

‘Overall there were a number of councillors who were very embarrassed that something so silly had to come to a committee meeting over a ‘sustainability’ issue – when sustainability was all about housing developments.

‘There were still two people that voted against planning permission, the Chair himself abstained but the rest was a full house voting to pass the planning permission.’

Clare Perry, 59, who is Mrs Claus at Santa’s Grotto Frome, joked: ‘We’ll have a glass of sherry tonight.’

She added: ‘There’s been lots of work and it makes you wonder how somebody can say no who hasn’t even seen it and it can just be that easy.

‘It’s been a really tough year – the relief is massive.’

Santa’s Grotto Frome consists of Craig, Clare as well as Gordon Perry, 57, Clare’s husband.

The family were searching for a new site this year when they were approached by landowners who own the 186 acres of Critchill Manor Estate.

Santa’s Grotto Frome are not the only community business operating on the space, however, as it is also home to numerous other trades including a cafe and the local Frome Youth football team.

Craig said: ‘There is trading already on the existing site.

‘The football team alone regularly have over 300 cars there supporting their teams and events.

‘The council state our Grotto is not sustainable because there is no public transport to get to the site – but you wouldn’t go on a bus to a golf club.

‘Our previous site had no bus route.

‘We have a booking system through a ticket source, so have a mix of two families per 20 minute sessions.

‘That is roughly six cars an hour, compared to the amount of regular cars already permitted to site.

‘Our six little cars have very little, if any, impact whatsoever especially as some will be electric.’

Craig explained they were informed by the landowner to apply for planning permission due to complaints about previous projects from a local source – so to get planning permission was the ‘best route to follow’.

Craig states their location is quiet, out of the way and ‘hurts no one, but not remote as the council describes’- and they took out a £20,000 loan to pay for the buildings.

He said: ‘So we have set up a spot that used to be a camping field where they hosted all sorts of activities – there was already a remit there for that.

‘We erected two wooden buildings – that people can have in their back garden without planning permission.

‘They are nice quality wooden units that go into the background itself – they are not an eye sore.

‘It is an ideal position for us, we are not hurting anybody or encroaching on the field.

‘We didn’t think it would take this long and we had to put them up in our commitment to the families who support Santa’s Grotto Frome, its taken six months to set up’.

The grotto is fully booked every weekend until Christmas and the family ‘look forward’ to continue sharing Christmas cheer.

A spokesperson for Somerset Council stated: ‘The application was approved, subject to various conditions.

‘The full decision will be published in due course.’

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