From the Advertiser
AN enforcement officer’s plan to rent or sell a beauty spot to a Gypsy family has been put on hold after attracting numerous objections from residents.
David Lovell said he remained optimistic that his planning application to change the use of his one-acre smallholding in Bullamoor, near Northallerton, to a residential site for Travelers would be granted after Hambleton District Council’s planning committee deferred the decision.
Mr Lovell said although councillors had raised objections to the plan, he was determined to provide a place for a homeless family of Gypsies after being appalled by mass evictions from Dale Farm Travellers' site, in Essex, in October last year.
He said since launching the application he had faced comments from objectors claiming crime and dumped rubbish would increase in the area and that property values would fall.
The grandfather said: “Traveller families are all being tarred with the same brush and discriminated against.”
The council’s officers had recommended the proposal be granted as it would provide a sustainable private Gypsy site, met planning policies and would address the need for nine travellers’ pitches in the district over the next five years.
Officers said although there is “a strong presumption” against new residential developments in the open countryside, council policies allowed the establishment of gypsy sites when a range of criteria had all been met.
Allertonshire Civic Society, Osmotherley Parish and Northallerton Town councils have also objected to the plan, saying it is an inappropriate development in a rural location and have questioned whether the site would remain used by a single family.
Neighbours battling to stop the change of use have cited concerns over refuse disposal, road safety, visual impact and the impact on property prices.
Northallerton councillor John Coulson said he believed the council should create a single site to provide the nine required pitches for Travellers.
He said: “I have nothing against gypsies, but I don’t think this is the right site as it is a very narrow strip and it is a very sensitive and beautiful area.”
To who this may concern i am disgusted in the comments made about the proposal of the gypsy site located in Bullamoor. How dare they say this would devalue their property and bring crime into the area and saying we dump rubbish, how dare they jusdge every gypsy as i am a gypsy. Any council member or non gypsy could come to my family's home and see if we are dirty or not, i am so digusted in the council in Hambleton area and the parish in Osmotherly to make such comments, this is a disgrace to the gypsy community, we ar being treated worser than animals. I have known the Nortallerton area since the day i was born and bullamoor has always been a problen area, as we own property in a village near Northallerton and we have had more people stealing from our properties that has came from northallerton but we do not paint everybody with the same brush in Northallerton as your community paint the gypsy community all the same. As i state there is good and bad in every race of people, i will also quote my family are respected were we live the residents in our parish know that we are not dirty, we do not dump rubish and most cerntainly do not bring crime in our parish. This is no the finish it is only the begginingas i am seeking legal advice to see what actions can be taking against such discrimination against the gypsy community. Quote again do not judge everybodt the same as there is good and bad in every race.
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