Travellers site decision deferred - Derbyshire

From the Ashbourne News Telegraph

AN OUTBURST of objections has ‘embarrassed’ planners into deferring a decision on plans for a Travellers’ site in Ashbourne, it has been claimed.

A crowd of townsfolk attended a meeting of Derbyshire Dales District Council Southern Area Planning Committee to witness planners defer the decision before walking out on Tuesday last week.

The district council had announced they would defer the decision on proposals for a five-caravan Travellers’ site at land adjacent to Ashbourne Cemetery off Watery Lane on Wednesday last week.

Chairman of Ashbourne Town Council’s planning committee, Jon Barrs was at the meeting at Ashbourne Leisure Centre, which he regularly attends to make representations or gain feedback on behalf of the town council.

After the meeting, he told the News Telegraph: “I think the members of the public wish their views to be represented and are ensuring that the momentum is there.

“There’s obviously a strength of feeling and they obviously wish that to be seen.

“I was at the meeting anyway for agenda items one, two and three.

“I think the district council has been embarrassed into deferring it and I’m heartened that they are now taking on board public opinion.” As the controversy over the plan rumbles on, members of Ashbourne Allotments Association (AAA) and residents of Mayfield Road turned out in force at the Southern Area Planning Committee.

The gathered throng walked out of the meeting once the item regarding the traveller’s site planning application had been deferred.

District council planning officer, John Bradbury, told the meeting: “We are blessed with lots of public interest in the meeting tonight.

“We drafted the item in good faith but have subsequently decided to withdraw the item from the agenda, partly around the public interest arising around this item and for that item to be properly and fully considered.

“We won’t be considering or determining the item tonight.” Chairman of AAA, Barry Morrison, said prior to the meeting: “We want to show the passion we’ve got, not just for the allotments, but for the cemetery and for Ashbourne.

“I think it’s very insensitive what they are planning down there.

“We want to show solidarity in how Ashbourne residents and the AAA are working as one.

“We want to show how we feel about it for the good of the town.”