Family's fears over Rangeworthy Travellers' site - Gloucestershire

A FAMILY from Rangeworthy fear the worst for the New Year as a proposal for a Travellers’ site next door to their dream home has been recommended for approval by planners.

David and Karen Powell, who have spent thousands of pounds renovating Leechpool Dairy Farm, say South Gloucestershire Council will be acting prejudicially if it allows the 14-pitch site to go ahead on Tanhouse Lane.

Mr Powell, who works for Chipping Sodbury Motor Company, told the Gazette: "A planning application for a business on the site was refused on the grounds it would generate too much traffic and noise and be detrimental to local amenities and neighbouring properties. So why is this application any different? If it goes ahead that is saying there is one rule for the first application and a different rule for Travellers. That is prejudice or even racism against normal residents."

Council planning officer Simon Penketh previously recommended the application by Shannon Parks was refused because Tanhouse Lane is so narrow and access would represent a danger to the many cyclists and pedestrians who use it regularly. At a November meeting of the authority’s development control committee

Cllr Ben Walker (Con, Bradley Stoke North) proposed it was thrown out on the grounds of the impact on the site’s immediate neighbours, the Powell family. But before councillors could vote the application was deferred because of a legal challenge over the land’s ownership.

Now the ownership issue has been resolved, Mr Penketh has said the need for more Travellers’ pitches in South Gloucestershire outweighed concerns over highway safety.

His report states: "It is concluded that the principle of development is acceptable and that there is a demonstrable need for the provision of new Gypsy and Traveller pitches, and that this conclusion should be given considerable weight in determining this application."

He said the site would not detrimentally impact on the privacy of nearby dwellings.

Mr Penketh also said the fact that land at Hall End, just a mile away from Tanhouse Lane, was given permission to be used as a Travellers’ site in 2009 but has never been lived on did not demonstrate ‘comprehensive evidence of a lack of need’.

In addition to the Powell’s objection, 461 letters against the plans have been submitted to the council. Rangeworthy parish and Yate town councils have objected to the scheme and argue a new neighbourhood of 3,000 homes included in South Gloucestershire Council’s Local Plan earmarks Tanhouse Lane as a recreational area for new residents.

Applicant, Shannon Parks, of Shannon Parks Ltd, said that the site had been identified as part of the West of England Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment which found 58 residential and 25 transit pitches were needed in South Gloucestershire.

"Gypsies and Travellers have a right to live in the way that they choose to," she said. "We have had a huge amount of support for this project from the Gypsy and Traveller community."

The application is due to be decided at South Gloucestershire Council’s Thornbury offices on Thursday, January 5 (2.30pm).