As lockdown begins to ease, and we begin to head towards summer, many of us will be hoping for a UK getaway this year.

Staycations are set to be this year’s hottest ticket for travel, and it is likely to remain that way for some time. VisitBritain estimates that staycations will rebound by 80 per cent on 2020, and reach almost 70 per cent of normal levels, in 2021, with domestic tourists expected to spend £61.7 billion this year.

Now, a Stockbridge landowner is hoping to cash in on the burgeoning market by applying for permission to build tourist accommodation for up to three families. The plans are currently under consideration by Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC).

The plans were first submitted on April 19, though plans to use the site for tourists have existed since at least 2010. Planning consent was gained twice for accommodation with four sets of rooms for guests, but the plans have now been adjusted to alter the layout of the site, and adjust the size of the building.

Under the plans, a one-storey building, which is split into two halves, will be built after a tractor shed is demolished. The three units will be fully accessible, with each having a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and dining area.

As the site is partly at risk of flooding, the architects have taken the decision to raise the building off the floor with piles, so that water in the area will not be affected. This decision is also said to retain wildlife corridors across the site.

The promised green credentials of the building go further by a commitment to improve the energy efficiency of the building relative to others by at least a fifth, as well as using ground source heat pumps and other technologies.

If you would like to have your say on the plans, search TVBC's planning site with the reference: 21/01171/FULLN