A LOCAL supplier of premium edible snails has been given permission to turn a cabin where he cooks them into a single-bedroom holiday let.

Richard Fishbourne of Hawker's Lane, Fownhope, applied for permission for the switch as he plans to relocate the snail cooking operation into a hay store on the site.

However, Fownhope Parish Council objected to the proposal because the property was both outside the settlement boundary and within the boundary of the Wye Valley National Landscape. It also stated it was also ‘highly visible’ from the village, so should not be considered for residential use.

There were no objections from highways or ecology officers, or from Welsh Water.

The planning approval comes with a strict condition that prevents the cabin becoming a home in the future.