Site review after noise report exposed - Bedfordshire

A council that claimed a Travellers site was ‘too noisy’ for Gypsies ignored its own commissioned report, which gave the green light for development.

Now bosses at Bedford Borough Council will conduct a second independent review - expected to costs thousands - meaning a proposed traveller site at Meadow Lane, Cardington could be back on the cards.

In September, BoS reported that plans to build a site at Meadow Lane in Bedford were scuppered because assessments found that sound levels weren’t appropriate for caravans. At the time deputy mayor, Charles Royden, pointed the finger at Government regulations and red tape for the settlement not being given the go-ahead. Mayor Dave Hodgson even wrote to Secretary of State Eric Pickles on the matter.

But a document handed to BoS shows an assessment carried out by Spectrum Acoustic Consultants - that cost the council £6,300 - found that noise was ‘not a sufficient’ enough reason to refuse planning permission.

It said: ‘The excess of noise inside caravans at night in comparison to guideline levels, as well as in the external play area during the day is not, of itself, sufficient to form a sole valid reason for refusal of planning permission.’ The survey also found that the installation of screens to combat noise could have been installed.
However, a survey from council officers conflicted with Spectrum’s findings.

It said: ‘The primary conclusion of the studies is that, based on the assessments undertaken, if a planning application were to be made for a Gypsy and Traveller site at that location then the noise and odour issues mean it would be inappropriate to grant permission.

This effectively rules the site out as a potential allocation and there is now a need to consider alternative proposals.’ The report also found that over a ten-day review of the site for smells, on four occasions there were reports of odours. But there is debate whether odour constitutes a reason for rejecting a planning application.

In 2009 the authority was unsuccessful in securing £1.7m in funding for permanent pitches at Meadow Lane.

Councillor for Harrold ward, Alison Field-Foster, said: “Having read the statements of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the BoS I was shocked to discover that the Borough’s acoustic consultant did not find noise was an issue at Meadow Lane. Given that odour is not a material planning consideration and noise is clearly not an issue there is no reason a planning application cannot be submitted now for permanent Gypsy and Traveller accommodation at this site.

“My suspicion is that the Borough does not want to spend money on developing Meadow Lane and that they want to push the problem out to the rural areas where Gypsies are buying up small plots of land and developing private sites which don’t cost the Borough a penny. There’s no reason that an application for planning permission cannot be submitted now for Meadow Lane as permanent Gypsy and Traveller accommodation.”

Bedford Borough Council refused to give a reason why it ignored the Spectrum report but a spokesman said: “The report was commissioned because the council has proposed to develop a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site at Meadow Lane in order to help alleviate the problem of unlawful encampments and meet assessed need. The council is already pressing ahead with developments at Meadow Lane to allow it to be used for a Travellers site as part of the solution to deal with unlawful encampments. The site will be open and available for travellers in March.”