Southwick residents in rush to have Gypsy plan say - Wiltshire

From the Wiltshire Times

Southwick residents who object to two Gypsy site plans have spoken out in droves – but at the eleventh hour.

Many did not learn of the two planned mobile homes, at Hoopers Pool and Poplar Tree Lane, until reading about the planning applications in the Wiltshire Times last Friday.

Residents distributed hundreds of flyers around the village encouraging people to lodge comments on the Hoopers pool plan with Wiltshire Council’s planning department before the deadline of midnight last Friday.

They had until midnight on Friday to make comments via the Wiltshire Council website on the Poplar Tree Lane scheme.

Kellie MacKenzie, from Brookmead, said: “Having lived in Southwick for a number of years, we usually receive regular bulletins providing updates on village news. However, the details for the recent planning applications in Hoopers Pool and Poplar Tree Lane have been extremely vague and we feel deceived by the lack of communication to advise local people.”

Wiltshire Council consulted immediate neighbours and Southwick Parish Council for their views and put a notice next to each site.

At both sites, which are off Frome Road, Gypsy families want to build a mobile home, a dayroom and have a space for a touring caravan. Fifty residents made comments about Hoopers Pool. So far 28 have commented about Poplar Tree Lane.

Zoe Jefferies, from Wynsome Street, said: “This is a very busy main road without pavements and it would be very dangerous for pedestrians to access the site, especially children.”

Andrew Hewson, from Chantry Gardens, said: “The conversion of agricultural land into a dwelling site is inappropriate. The plans do not allow for drainage when it is quite clear that the dayroom is nothing more than a washing facility for the numerous caravans that will be using this site.”

Both plans will be discussed by councillors, most likely at the next planning committee meeting on May 9 at 6pm at the Bradley Road offices in Trowbridge.