Travellers' site application sparks fears about Lichfield Canal restoration - Staffordshire

From Waterways World

The Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust has expressed fears that restoration of the Lichfield canal could be obstructed, after a family of Irish Travellers bought a field on the line of the canal just south of the M6 Toll motorway – and put in planning permission for a caravan site.

On 11th June local councillors rejected the application, saying it represented “inappropriate development … harmful to the openness and visual amenity of this green belt location.”

The field has already been cleared of vegetation by the family, and was to have been concreted over to provide standing areas for six mobile homes, two touring caravans, utility buildings and septic tanks. Other amenities, not mentioned in the application, would also have been required by law if permission had been granted.

The Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust was among the objectors, since the land lies directly on the line of the canal at the south end of the Lichfield canal aqueduct, installed when the M6 Toll was built.

The site is also adjacent to where the famous ‘Staffordshire Hoard’ of Saxon treasures was discovered in 2009. If permission had been granted, there were also fears that it might prevent a future Mercian visitor centre being built - or further archaeology taking place.

In rejecting the application, little mention was made of the canal restoration. The canal restoration’s supporters now fear that a renewed bid could be made. If it were to get approval in the future, the applicants would be ‘sitting pretty’ on the land, and this could make restoration of the line up to Ogley Junction very problematic indeed.