Shropshire planners warned of ‘Dale Farm fiasco’

Council chiefs have been warned they could have ‘another Dale Farm fiasco’ on their hands near Oswestry if they do not resolve a planning row quickly. Dozens of objections have been lodged with Shropshire Council over plans for a Travellers’ camp on land opposite Henlle Park Golf Club in Gobowen.

Some work has already been carried out on the site, a former rubbish tip, without planning permission and council chiefs slapped a stop order on the site last year.
The applicants reduced the size of their application in September to ease public concerns about their plans. The travellers now say they only want to build four pitches.
But several more objections have now been lodged after the revised plans were made public. The new objections have been posted on Shropshire Council’s public access planning website and one objector, calling himself Mr Very Angry, urged the council to resolve the controversy quickly.
He added: “Do we have to wait for the situation to slide in to another Dale Farm fiasco at yet more expense to the public purse, also known as my council tax?”
Other objectors have also written to the council, alleging work has been carried out despite the stop notice.
Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council has already lodged objections to the application.
Agent for the bid, Bayston Hill firm TR Mennell, said the applicants had no intention of blocking off any rights of way and said there would only be one entrance and exit to the site. It said the proposed chalets were ‘very modest’.
The letter said “none of the statutory consultees has sustained any objection that would prevent the application going forward with a recommendation for approval.”
Shropshire Council hopes to make a decision on the bid as soon as possible.