A councillor has been given permission to build a shepherd’s hut and a glamping pod in his garden.

And he has concerns over how long the application has taken to go through the planning system.

Jeremy Owenson, the Conservative group leader on Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC), wants to provide holiday lets in the grounds of Pool House in Upton.

According to planning documents, these would be run as a business to support the running costs of the house.

Pool House, off Hanley Road, is a grade II listed building dating back to the early 18th century.

Once used as a hotel, the house has several outbuildings and three acres of private garden according to a planning statement submitted to the district council.

“A commercial building was erected in the grounds of the house in the 1970s and this is now used as a funeral director’s premises,” it says.

“This is situated near the entrance to the property to the north of the main house.

“The applicants wish to create holiday lets which would be ancillary to the main house and would be run as a business to support the running costs of the house.

“The development would use many of the facilities which are already in existence from the time the house was used as a hotel and bed and breakfast.

“Adequate parking is already available and there are sufficient services including electricity, water and drainage which can be readily adapted.”

Planning documents show that although the parts of the garden are known to flood, the locations of the hut and the pod are in the areas “least prone to flooding on the site”.

Cllr Owenson said: “It is good that I have had the opportunity to see the planning process from an applicant’s perspective.

“I am really concerned that simple applications seem to take so long to determine.

“I know that there are big delays in the planning department, and MHDC needs to make a special effort to determine applications within government guidelines.”