Chelmsford Gypsy camp plans outrage Beaulieu Park residents - Essex

From the Essex Chronicle

HORRIFIED residents are fighting council plans for a Gypsy camp on the edge of their upmarket estate.

People in Chelmsford's Beaulieu Park, where homes sell for up to £450,000, discovered the legal traveller site when they were looking at Countryside's £1 billion plans to extend the estate with 3,600 new homes.

The site is part of Chelmsford Council's North Chelmsford Action Plan – a blueprint earmarking where homes must be built in the town to meet government targets.

Paul Wilson, 47, of Albemarle Link, told the Chronicle: "We were shocked that there is this area action plan, which hardly anyone has heard of, showing a gypsy encampment on land at the edge of the new housing at Beaulieu Park and close to the lakes of Channels Golf Course where some really upmarket homes are also supposed to be built.

"Everybody here fears a Dale Farm in Chelmsford. The parcel of land looks big enough for other caravans to set up around the legal site."

Circulars warning of the Traveller site were delivered through doors on the estate this week urging people to fight the plans, which have already been approved by the council.

Engineer Richard Barker, a resident of nine years, added: "Although the site is for ten pitches, which I understand means up to 20 caravans, there is a large area of undeveloped land all around it."

"We all fear that once a lawful site is set up other Travellers would move in around it," added his partner Gail Barker.

"Dale Farm is on everybody's mind whenever Traveller sites are considered."

Residents, particularly in Albemarle Link, are also worried the development of new houses will destroy the panoramic views of rolling fields from their gardens.

Dad-of-two Fabrizzio Tessandri said: "We are not NIMBYs, we recognise this land has to be developed it just does not seem they are doing it in the right way.

Chelmsford council says the final details of the Gypsy site, which has already been relocated once by agreement with Countryside to outside the Beaulieu Park extension, are still being worked on.

By 2011 the county town had met its obligation of 81 pitches – room for 160 caravans – but needs to find another 28 pitches, for 56 caravans, by 2021 to meet government targets.