Sunday 7 July 2013

Underwood residents fear lack of council plan could see Traveller’ site given green light - Nottinghamshire

From Chad

Village residents have been left ‘angry’ and ‘annoyed’ at Ashfield District Council over fears that a Travellers’ camp could be given planning permission because of a shortage of sites in the area.


Chad reported last week that around 200 Underwood residents attended a meeting to discuss two planning applications for developments on nearby greenbelt land.

One of these is for a residential caravan site for an extended Traveller family at Travellers Rest on Felley Mill Lane South, with similar applications having been rejected in the past.

Ashfield district councillor Robert Sears-Piccavey said that local people thought the matter had come to a close when the Secretary of State rejected an appeal last year.

But now it seems that this new application could be given the go-ahead because the council has not set aside enough Travellers’ sites, as required by planning policy.

It has suggested eight sites but the Government requires it to allocate 10 on an up-to-date Local Plan - and residents fear that this means the planning application could be granted on appeal even if the council turned it down.

“It’s a failure of policy on Ashfield’s part,” said Coun Sears-Piccavey.

“That’s the chink the consultant for the Travellers is pursuing.

“Ashfield are failing the people of Underwood because of that.”

Coun Sears-Piccavey said that it was vital that the council find the extra sites, as without the five-year supply, the area could be vulnerable to developments being built on sites that are not ideal - such as greenbelt land.

Underwood residents are angry that they may lose some of their greenbelt as a result.

“They are all angry, annoyed and frustrated with Ashfield,” said Coun Sears-Piccavey.

“People have said why can’t we just move back to Broxtowe like we used to be years ago.

“They want to know how it can have happened.”

He added: “If Ashfield turn down the application [the applicants] will obviously appeal and if the council have not sorted out the extra sites within the time the appeal is heard, we will probably lose it. It’s a big worry.”

Coun Gail Turner, Nottinghamshire county councillor for the area, agreed that the district council’s failure to adopt a Local Plan could have consequences on the outcome of future planning applications.

“They have not done their duty, they have not produced their plan,” she said.

An Ashfield District Council spokesman said: “It is not appropriate to speculate on the likely outcome of this application. In general terms the council currently has a Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment which sets out a pitch requirement of 10 for the period 2011-2016. Eight of those pitched have already been accepted in the district, leaving a balance of two pitches to find by 2016. Any future pitches would need to demonstrate that they are suitably located.”

The spokesman confirmed that local authorities are required to identify five year’s worth of sites by the Government, plus specific sites or broad locations for up to 15 years ahead. ADC is working to update the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment for 2013-2028 and it is anticipated it will be completed towards the end of this year.

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