Travellers’ site permission renewal - Lincolnshire

From the Lincolnshire Free Press

COUNCIL bosses hoping to create a temporary stopping place for Gypsies and Travellers in Sutton Bridge are being forced to renew their planning permission.

South Holland District Council has allowed the three-year permission for the land off Centenary Way to almost elapse, with little chance of any work commencing in the coming months.

Permission was given in June 2009 but a Compulsory Purchase Order to buy the land was not approved until after a public inquiry held in Long Sutton in 2010.

The current planning permission will expire on June 22.

The authority says it still intends to press ahead with its plans for the ten-pitch caravan site.

A spokesman for South Holland District Council said: “This is a procedural matter and is for the renewal of the existing planning permission on the site which expires in June.

“The council’s plans and timescales regarding the site remain unchanged.”

Sutton Bridge county and district councillor Chris Brewis said feeling towards the potential development was still “hostile” among some villagers.

He said: “They need to get their views in on the application as soon as possible to the planning department by email, telephone or by writing a letter if they want their views to count.

“You must get them in. You may not think it will not make a difference but it will.”

The proposed Sutton Bridge Gypsy and Traveller site is one of three on the cards for South Holland after a need was identified for 15 permanent pitches and ten overnight stopping places in May 2006.

A new site has already been set up off the A151 link road at Holbeach, which replaced an illegal site in Cranmore Lane.

However, South Holland District Council has faced extensive criticism after spending £1,075,834 on the Holbeach development – leaving just £638,682 in the budget for the other two sites.

A final site is in the pipeline for Gosberton Clough, with ongoing discussions with a landowner to replace another illegal site in Broad Drove.

It’s understood work on the site at Sutton Bridge will only be progressed once issues at Gosberton Clough have been resolved.