Turn a Blind Eye, located in Whatlington near Battle, has applied for planning permission from Rother District Council to operate as a camping, caravanning, and motorhome site with up to 30 pitches.
The application with Rother District Council has sparked strong objections from Whatlington Parish Council and residents, who claim the site has already been running for two years, and describe it as out of place in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Whatlington Parish Hall (Image: Google Maps)
The parish council said: “This application is disingenuous and misleading.
“For the past two years, as well as operating an illegal campsite, it has operated as an adult-themed entertainment venue.
“The application makes no mention at all that the site, which trades under the name ‘Turn a Blind Eye,’ is (in its own words) ‘an adult-only naturist camping site,’ nor that it provides adult-themed entertainment, activities, and events (in its own words ‘open-minded events’).”
Concerns have also been raised about the site’s proximity to a recently converted boarding house for Battle Abbey School pupils at the nearby Leeford Place Hotel, just 80 metres away.
A spokesperson from Battle Abbey School, which costs over £17,000 per term, told the Daily Mail: “The safety and wellbeing of our pupils is our highest priority and we have carefully reviewed the situation.”
The spokesperson said appropriate safeguarding and supervision measures are in place.
The parish council said the proposed development “would not maintain or improve the rural character” of the area and said noise from the site was already a “major issue”.
It added that “Both the scale and location of the proposed development are entirely out of keeping with the rural character of the countryside.”
In response, GRF Planning, on behalf of the site, argued that the campsite was its primary function and that other activities were “incidental to the camping use.”
It was reported that two people were “instructed to leave the campsite immediately” after a sexual act was witnessed by a four-year-old son of a local farmer.
Residents and site visitors remain divided.
Linda Walker said: “The Whatlington setting is completely inappropriate.
“The noise from the events and the socialising on the campsite can be heard across the valley.”
Guy Selmon said: “The condition of Mill Lane is totally unsuited to a significant increase in traffic, particularly large caravans and other recreational vehicles.”
Supporters argue the site fills a niche.
Mark Mitro said: “There are very few campsites that cater to this type of experience and this site is a real gem.
“Opportunities like this are rare and it would be positive to see more locations of this kind developed across the country.”
The Turn a Blind Eye Website requires readers to add a birth date to enter the site. It states that Turn a Blind Eye Campsite “is a relaxed, clothing-optional adults-only campsite in Battle, UK, where you can unwind and be yourself”.
The Turn a Blind Eye website (Image: Argus)
Turn a Blind Eye has posted opening dates on Facebook, with a Saturday outdoor cinema being advertised on the site from May 22 to May 25.
Other events include a Saturday Solstice party, a Saturday Mad Hatters tea party, a Murder Mystery and a Day of the Dead party.
A decision on the application is expected later this year.
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