Plans for new Travellers' site in Rangeworthy are deferred after land ownership is questioned

NO DECISION was reached about plans for a second Travellers’ site in Rangeworthy after questions of land ownership brought council deliberations to an abrupt halt last week.

Just one day before the South Gloucestershire Council development committee west meeting on Thursday, planning officers received a document suggesting that TL Demolition did not own the Tanhouse Lane grounds in their entirety.

This unexpected turn of events meant that for legal reasons and despite councillors pushing for an immediate vote on the proposed 14 pitches to accommodate Gypsies and Travellers, the final decision was deferred pending investigation.

Planning officer Helen O’Connor revealed the existence of the controversial letter to councillors.
She said: "We can’t ignore this correspondence. We need to act reasonably.

"This is a procedural issue we need to resolve before making a decision either way. The planning authority needs to demonstrate that it has acted in a legal manner.
"We need to go back and check the ownership."