ACRES of land have been destroyed after bulldozers ripped out fences and pulled down trees in what residents fear may be part of plans to build a Gypsy site.
The unauthorised work at land off Biddulph Road, Fegg Hayes, near to the Chatterley Whitfield roundabout, has left the eyesore site exposed.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has served a 'Temporary Stop Notice' to halt any more work from going ahead.
It is not yet known who is responsible, but residents believe a family of Travellers hope to re-develop the land into a permanent Gypsy site.
The concerns come after plans by Sagid Munir won permission from the city council to replace Verdun House, which is on the same site, with a new building and a double garage.
A pensioner living in Petersfield Road, Chell, who wished not to be named, said: "I saw someone on the site the other day and I went over to them I asked what they were planning to do.
"He told me he was planning to put loads of caravans on there. The fences have already been pulled up, so it looks like something is being planned.
"There used to be horses on there too, but they have been moved somewhere."
"I wouldn't like it if it was Gypsies and they caused a lot of mess."
Fegg Hayes resident Pam Morris, of Oversley Road, added: "Somebody has moved on to the site and has taken the boundary fence up, as well as all of the hedgerows.
"There were diggers on there the other day which have removed everything.
"It's unbelievable what has been done. The space is huge and it looks a real mess now. It was a shock when I drove past it, I couldn't believe it.
"Whoever it was moved pretty fast because it was done in about two days."
Ann James, Councillor for Great Chell and Packmoor, has received a series of calls from concerned residents about plans for the site.
She said: "A notice has been put up which means whoever did this cannot move onto the site again.
"As far as I am aware it is greenbelt land and I know that the council will be replacing the fencing so the land is not exposed, and to stop people from moving back onto the land. They have made a mess."
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has confirmed that the land is both private and council-owned, and that the site will be monitored over the next few weeks.
A spokesman said: "The council has served a Temporary Stop Notice for unauthorised works on private and council land near Chatterley Whitfield roundabout. The works have now stopped and the site will be closely monitored.
"The council will try to prevent works starting again without the relevant authorisations in place.
"The Temporary Stop Notice seeks to prevent the importation of material onto the land and the re-contouring and levelling of the land."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.