New Green Plans for Smithy Fen Travellers After Eviction Reprieve - Cambridgeshire

South Cambridgeshire Council has delayed moves to place injunctions on Traveller families at Smithy Fen [1]. These injunctions would have forced the Travellers to leave the land they own, making vulnerable families homeless. Instead, the Travellers’ planning application, which seeks to make green and family-oriented improvements to the site, will now be considered.

Travellers from Smithy Fen and their supporters from the Traveller Solidarity Network and Irish Traveller Movement for Britain have welcomed the move. They say that pursuing injunctions would leave families destitute on the roadside, remove children from their education, and increase the vulnerability of residents who are in critical need of support from specialist local health services.

Smithy Fen resident Kathleen O’Brien said: “This is a huge relief. We’ve been living in fear for months, not knowing what would happen or where we would go. Some of the people who are under threat from the injunctions are very seriously unwell, and we all have our children and their education to think about, so it’s been a big strain.”

The council will now consider the new planning application submitted by six families at Smithy Fen in January [2]. The new development plans represent an opportunity to radically transform part of the site, improving environmental conditions for all, and avoiding the destitution of vulnerable families.

Kathleen Slattery, Smithy Fen resident added “We’re proud of our new planning application. We’re working together to design a play area for the children, there will be trees, green spaces for football, and we have an energy saving plan. It’s given us some hope. The last few months have been really stressful and upsetting – we’ve all been really scared about the future – so we’re relieved the council is going to give us a fair hearing.”

[1] South Cambs Planning Enforcement Sub-committee, Weds, 15th Feb, 2pm: http://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=940&MId=5791&Ver=4
Report from the sub-committee meeting on developments at Smithy Fen: http://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s62465/Report.pdf

[2] The application was registered on 24 January, 2012 under Council reference S/0041/12/FL and seeks consent for development described as, ‘change of use of 5, 5a, 6, 10 and 11 Orchard Drive and 15 Water Lane to 6 gypsy/traveller pitches, involving the siting of 6 mobile homes, 6 touring caravans, the erection of 6 amenity buildings and a stable; and change of use of plots 7, 8 and 9 Orchard Drive and 14, 16, 17 and 18 Water Lane to a community garden, involving the siting of children’s play equipment and alterations to Orchard Drive.’