Anger over plans for new Gypsy site - Bedfordshire

From Bedfordshire On Sunday

RESIDENTS are up in arms after a council gave the go-ahead for a second Gypsy site in their town, despite there being an empty site available in the south of the county.

On Wednesday, Central Bedfordshire Council’s development management committee gave permission for five static caravans at Twinacres in Hitchin Road, Arlesey, although there is already another six-pitch site in the town and an empty one at Timberlands in Pepperstock.

Although nine members of the committee voted not to grant the second site in Arlesey, 10 voted it favour of the plans giving it the go-ahead and meeting fierce criticism from residents that it would ruin their pleasant rural community.

Chairman of the Town Council, Nick Daniels, said: “We are bitterly opposed to it and will do everything we can to argue against it. There is already one site in the town and now there is an application for another four pitches.

“People are asking if we already have one site in the town, why should we have two when some areas of Central Bedfordshire don’t have any?”

“At the end of the day the cost of this site is being provided by the owner so the council wouldn’t pay to put it elsewhere as this will cost them nothing.”

Cllr Nigel Young, executive member for sustainable communities at Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “The Development Management Committee has approved the planning application for five static caravans to be sited at the Gypsy and Traveller site at Twinacres in Hitchin Road Arlesey.

“The site originally had permission for one pitch but that has now been increased to replace the original caravan and add four additional pitches with an amenity block as associated parking and hard standing.

Timberlands is a local authority site which is not “disused” but is being refurbished. When the refurbishment is complete it will provide six pitches.”