Operators of a daffodil farm that picks 500 million flowers a year have been given planning permission for caravans to provide accommodation for workers – despite claims it was "effectively a new village within a village."

Varfell Farm at Long Rock had applied for permission for 49 caravans, which have been placed alongside caravans already on site for staff.

Cornwall Council’s west sub-area planning committee agreed to grant permission for the caravans but said that it should be limited to ten years and also called on the operators to set up a liaison group with local residents and Ludgvan Parish Council.

Peter Whitehead, agent for the applicants, told the committee that the caravans were “essential” for the farm.

He said: “The business can’t operate without suitable accommodation for these workers.”

Mr Whitehead said the company had recently extended to cover an additional 1,000 acres of land and said it was efficient and logical to have accommodation for staff at the main base of the operation.

Matt Jarrett from Varfell Farm said that his company was the largest and leading grower of daffodils in the world.

He said that the industry annually contributes £150 million to the UK economy.

Mr Jarrett explained that his company was now farming 2,881 acres and had 52 full time staff as well as 600 seasonal staff.

And he explained that his operation supplied daffodils to all UK supermarkets as well as exporting them to Europe, the USA and Dubai.

He said that all the flowers were handpicked and that the job was very labour intensive.

Mr Jarrett said: “Without the accommodation we can’t employ people to harvest the crops and the business would fail.”

He said that historically the company had used surf lodges and holiday accommodation, but he this was no longer suitable or available.

He added that the application was “business critical to support a global leading business”.

The committee heard that attempts had been made to recruit people locally to work on the farm but there had been “very low take up”.

As a result most of the workforce had been recruited from abroad.

Varfell Farm is described as the largest and leading grower of daffodils in the world Picture from file: PA Images

Varfell Farm is described as the largest and leading grower of daffodils in the world Picture: PA Images

Local Cornwall councillor Simon Elliott said that the farm was "an incredibly sensitive case in the local area”.

He said that caravans had been brought onto the site without any consultation which had caused “incredible upset”.

Cllr Elliott said: “I have had more phone calls on this case than on any other in my time as a councillor.”

He said that while planning permission had been granted ten years ago for 49 caravans on the site there had only ever been a small number put in place.

Cllr Elliott said that the council should not allow permanent permission for the caravans and should also try and ensure conditions are maintained on the site.

He added: “This is effectively a new village within a village – if you had 400 people suddenly plonked next to your village without consultation you would be terrified.”

Committee member Mark Kaczmarek said that he felt that it was a “really good scheme and will provide good accommodation” for the staff.

But he said that he believed the consent should be restricted to ten years to allow for a review.

Lionel Pascoe agreed and said that it was good to have all staff located on one site and “looked after properly”.

The committee agreed unanimously to grant planning permission on the condition that it be limited to ten years and that a liaison group being set up by the applicants.