Travellers should be allowed to stay in Cambridge's Fen Road 'due to human rights', planners say - Cambridgeshire

From Cambridge News

Travellers are set to be allowed to stay for good on nearly 50 unauthorised plots in the green belt north of Cambridge.

The shortage of pitches and concern for Travellers’ human rights means sites should be allowed to remain in Chesterton Fen Road, even though they are eroding the countryside between the city and Milton, planning officers say.

They have recommended permanent permission is granted for 30 pitches at Sandy Park, which was the subject of a lengthy planning battle until temporary consent was granted in 2006. This expired two years ago.

Officers have also recommended permanent permission is granted for 18 plots on neighbouring West View Park, which was subject to a temporary permission that expired in 2011.

However, refusal is recommended for an application for seven new caravan plots at the Old Coal Yard in Fen Road, which was previously used for skip hire.

Further encroachment into the green belt cannot be justified, according to a report to the planning committee, which meets tomorrow.

Cllr Hazel Smith, who represents Milton, said the area was set to undergo major change with construction of a train station planned at Chesterton sidings.

She said: “We are short on our five-year supply for Traveller plots and that is likely to be a major consideration.

“But when we discuss plots along Fen Road we are aware of the fact we don’t want to increase the number of plots above what is there at the moment because there are problems with access.

“With the station coming, we know there will be more trains going over the level crossing because a lot of trains which currently terminate at Cambridge are due to terminate at Cambridge Science Park station.

“Already during the rush hour you can be held up for up to 10 minutes and then there’s a long queue of traffic going through Chesterton.”

Most of the plots at Sandy Park are occupied by mobile homes and caravans, and 14 have unauthorised amenity blocks, stables and sheds on them.

These would have to be subject to a further planning application.

There are currently 19 mobile homes at West View Park.

Jo Mills, the council’s planning and new communities director, said both sites had “contributed to the erosion of the gap between Cambridge and Milton, and have reduced openness”.

In a report to councillors, Ms Mills said the green belt carried “great importance” but argued this needed to be balanced against the contribution to the shortfall in Traveller sites.

Refusing planning permission would interfere with Travellers’ human rights, and both Sandy Park and West View Park have already been consulted on by the council as part of its plans for Traveller sites in coming decades, Ms Mills said.

She added: “On balance, it is considered that this very special circumstance is sufficient to set aside the presumption against inappropriate development in the green belt and harm to the countryside.”