‘COMPETING’ campsites in the Mendip Hills have clashed over noise levels and their similar branding at a council licensing hearing.

Mendip Activity Centre — which runs a dry ski slope, outdoor activities, and attached campsite — applied to North Somerset Council for a new premises licence but its next-door neighbours objected, claiming they were already living with “unacceptable” noise from the centre. But the activity centre said they were running a “competing” campsite business.

The activity centre has been run by its current owners since 2012, who also took over Mendip Lodge in 2018, inheriting premises licences from both mainly used for the bar in the lodge and selling local beers by the campsite.

Applying for a new licence, the activity centre said it would consolidate the ones they already had and allow them to put on charity events without first needing to get a temporary premises licence.

But neighbours Mr and Mrs Tomlinson, who have lived near the bottom of the ski slope for 18 years, told councillors at the licensing hearing on January 9: “Throughout the summer, we listen to very excited screaming and shouting children going down the toboggan slope. It’s like living next to a school playground.”

They added that live music at the campsite could be clearly heard at their house, which they said could be done inside the lodge. Mr Tomlinson said: “The activity centre want to do everything outdoors. They are promoting an outdoor festival atmosphere. […] The activity centre was clearly never meant to be operated as a festival site and campsite in the AONB.”

Mr Tomlinson added that he ran a “pop-up campsite” on his own field and had not been allowed by the council to install “glamping pods” over noise concerns.

Mendip Activity Centre co-owner Richard Eddins insisted live music would not be amplified, but said they had made “a couple of mistakes” by having bands with drums which had to be louder. He said they would not be having bands with drums in the future.

Philip Turner, head of the Mendip Activity Centre, said that running a “competing” business meant the objectors were not representative of locals.

He added that their campsite was called Mendip Ski Camp, its branding used a similar colour scheme to theirs, and was advertised as next door to the activity centre on its website.

He said: “His business appears to be trading off our name, our business families, and our search terms.”

Mr Turner added that they had got the police involved after Mr Tomlinson came onto the site, but Mrs Tomlinson said: “I feel that’s quite unfair and underhand. It’s true he went up there to speak to them but they called the police. Nothing happened to it.”

After a short deliberation, the licensing sub-committee granted Mendip Activity Centre the licence they asked for, with only a small alteration about the time of drink sales on Sunday .

Chairing the licensing sub-committee meeting, councillor Mike Solomon said: “Taking the fact that, Mr and Mrs Tomlinson, your main issues have been noise issues which, in some ways, are not very related to the granting of this licence, we have decided we will grant the licence.”