Gypsies vow to fight Coven Heath caravan row - South Staffordshire

Gypsies, whose bid to move caravans on to green belt land in South Staffordshire failed, have today vowed to resurrect the scheme and take their fight to the High Court.

The proposals to permanently move caravans onto land next to Hordern Mobile Home Park in Coven Heath were thrown out by a government planning inspector, who branded the development inappropriate, earlier this month. But now applicant Elaine Lee said she would continue to fight the decision – and will take the battle to the courts.

She said: “We do intend to follow this all the way up to the High Court if we have to. I am just getting advice from my agent at the moment.

Eight caravans moved on to land next to Hordern Mobile Home Park in Ball Lane in September 2010. Gravel was put down and an 8ft fence constructed.

But there was no planning permission for the land, owned by Nino Lee and his wife Elaine, to be used for the caravans.

The couple applied for retrospective permission to stay there after South Staffordshire Council obtained a High Court injunction preventing any further caravans moving on to the land.

But that application was refused by government inspector Paul Dignan before Christmas. Mr Dignan supported the council’s decision to reject the application. He said at the time that inappropriate development would only be allowed where it could be demonstrated that special circumstances exist which outweighed harm to the green belt. He ruled in the Lee’s case those circumstances did not exist.

Mrs Lee added: “I am just trying to get homes provided for the ones in my family that need them.My family has lived here for 20 years. We want to stay together.”

The field was bought by the Lee family 24 years ago.
They moved mobile homes on to part of it without permission but gained a certificate of lawful use.