East Devon District Council has received planning documents proposing the siting of two floating geodesic domes in the middle of Bicton Lake. The domes seek to make the most out of the beautiful Devon landscape and also support the educational activities of the nearby Bicton College.
Bicton Lake is bordered to the north by Bicton College and to the South by Bicton Park Botanical Gardens. Several heads of Department at Bicton College were involved in developing the proposals, identifying ways that the pods can support the teaching and learning at the college.
If the East Devon District Council approves the planning documents, the college would gain a lease for the lake to site the pods. Depending on the occupancy rates once the domes have been constructed and sited, the college stands to make between £12,000 and £20,000, all of which would got to the Student Hardship Fund. On top of this, the planning application notes that 2 jobs, one full time and the other part time, would be created.
The Geodesic Domes are called Lilypods, and are built using locally sourced and sustainable timber. Measuring 3 meters high and 6 meters wide, the geodesic domes will be supported by olive barrels attached to the bottom of the structure and accessed vial a curving jetty from the northern bank. Targeted at couples, the domes will be fitted with a double bed and feature an open plan living space. A separate partitioned area will contain a shower and a compost toilet.
The application stated that the accommodation would be focussed towards people who are looking for a quiet off-grid retreat in nature, aiming to fill a gap in the West Devon market for high-end glamping and environmentally sustainable tourism. Due to the fact that Lilypods are floating structures, it means that no damaging groundworks are needed. The Domes will be secured in position by mooring ropes.
While East Devon District Council has yet to determine the fate of the planning application, it looks like there are very few downsides to the plan. Not only would the proposal help the local Bicton College and provide new jobs for local people, but it would also increase economic activity to local businesses through additional tourism and could even provide diversification opportunities to existing rural businesses in the area.
If you’d like to find out more about Lilypod and their geodesic floating domes, go to www.lilypod.uk.com.
