Gypsy and Traveller site worry due to the lack of amenities - Somerset

From the Shepton Mallet Journal

Planners have voted to refuse a controversial application for a Traveller and Gypsy site, which is currently with the planning inspectorate at appeal.

The appeal relates to an application for an eight-plot Gypsy and Traveller site at Cock and Bull Drove, in Pilton.

The applicant lodged an appeal on the grounds of non-determination of the application after he was advised that the planning officer would recommend refusal to Mendip District Council's Planning Board.

Planning team manager, Matthew Williams, told members of the Board at a meeting last Wednesday evening, that due to the appeal, they no longer had jurisdiction over the decision, but it was necessary to establish how the planning board would have determined the application had it not gone to appeal, as this would form the basis of the local authority's appeal statement.

He said that a previous application had been refused in 2010 on the grounds of sustainability and the impact on the character and appearance of the area.

An appeal against the refusal was dismissed in September last year.

Mr Williams said the board had to be satisfied that these reasons for refusal in the last application, had been overcome in order to give this application the go-ahead.

He added that the need for sites in Mendip supports the proposal but this must be weighed against other issues, which in this case relate to the harm caused to the character and appearance of the area.

Objections had been raised by Pilton Parish Council and, at public consultation, two letters of objection had been received.

There was also an issue of a public right of way that would have to be moved and an ongoing row about access to the site.

Resident Brian Derek who spoke at the meeting said he represented more than 180 people who had signed a petition against the proposal.

He said there were no public amenities near the site, that the public transport was minimal and that the roads were too narrow for the amount of traffic it would cause.

Councillor Nigel Hewitt-Cooper said there no amenities in the area and the bus service has also been reduced.

He also said that there would still be a significant increase in traffic on the lanes with the eight pitches.

Councillor George Steer said it surprised him that Highways department had not objected due to the narrow lanes.

Mr Hewitt-Cooper proposed that they refuse the application on the grounds that the previous reasons for refusal had not been cleared up.

Councillors voted unanimously to refuse the application.