A 43-acre campsite plan for a north Norfolk farm aims to dramatically increase biodiversity and give a boost to tourism.

Plans for five bell tents and 15 camping pitches on land north of New Road, Baconsthorpe, were submitted to North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) earlier this month.

The scheme will see more than 30,000 trees allowed to grow naturally across the site, which the developer says will increase biodiversity by 375pc.

Ten acres will be out of bounds for visitors and set aside for wildlife conservation and scientific study.

The site, between Holt and Cromer, is around the size of 86 football pitches and will also feature a shower and toilet block, car parking area and new footpaths linking up to nearby attractions including the Baconsthorpe Castle.

In planning documents submitted to NNDC, Wild Camp LTD, the developers behind the scheme, said it will attract local and national tourists and grow the north Norfolk economy.

Wild Camp's planning statement said: "In contrast to the ordinary 'mown-grass' camping experience, the site will follow the principles of wilding - the restoration of ecosystems allowing natural functions to occur – returning five arable fields to a wildlife-rich scrub-woodland habitat."

Currently, the site is used as farmland, growing maize and for pheasant hunting.

Camping pitches will be on the north of the site, with the rest set aside for wildlife.

The developers said: "The benefits are many and significant, including providing a genuinely sustainable land use model for low-grade arable land, boosting biodiversity, capturing carbon, connecting people to wildlife and allowing more than 30,000 trees to naturally regenerate."

The project has seen support from a university lecturer at the UEA and a postdoctoral fellow at Queen Mary University London.

The UEA lecturer said the plans will have "numerous environmental benefits" for the nearby River Glaven and help to restore its "ecological function".

No letters of objection have been submitted to NNDC.

A previous application, for 30 pitches – 10 bell tents and 20 camping pitches – was withdrawn by the applicant in June last year.

The previous plans saw objections from Baconsthorpe Parish Council, who argued nearby roads are unsuitable for extra traffic, there was a lack of on-site supervision and paths would not be cut regularly enough.