‘Feelings running high’ at prospect of 20-home Travellers’ site in village - Lincolnshire

From the Grantham Journal

MORE than 100 villagers attended a special meeting on Monday to voice their concerns about a planning application for a 20-home Travellers’ site.

If granted planning permission, the new site would be on land at Woolsthorpe Lane in Sedgebrook.

The application has been made by Mr T. Hone of Newark who is seeking to have 10 mobile home pitches, each able to accommodate two homes, as well as 10 WC blocks built on the site.

Chairman of Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir Parish Council, Coun Gilbert Ward, said there was a lot of opposition to the proposal at Monday’s meeting.

Coun Ward said: “The meeting was attended by 130 people and all of them were pretty much against this proposed site. Everyone was given the chance to say what they wanted and feelings were running pretty high.”

The parish council voted unanimously in favour of objecting to the proposals, citing concerns with the number of homes to be sited, the access road, the close proximity to Grantham Canal and disturbance to wildlife in the area.

Coun Ward said: “To say the least, it is not a suitable site at all.”

The design and access statemtent for the planning application on behalf of Mr Hone says enquiries into the availability of other land have been made without success.

It states: “Mr Hone and numerous Traveller families have enquired at a number of Traveller pitches within the local area and have all been told they are at full capacity.

“As no further land has been allocated for this use by the county council, this has left the Travellers homeless.”