Gypsies await their fate - Buckinghamshire

From the Bucks Free Press

GYPSIES who appealed the council’s decision to reject planning permission on two sites are awaiting the outcome of an inquiry held last week to consider their fate.

Gerard O’Connor and Patrick Murphy, whose families are related by marriage, appealed after Wycombe District Council refused their efforts to make use of land at Walters Ash and Flackwell Heath.

The week-long inquiry heard evidence from the families, who claim special circumstances should grant them use of the Green Belt land, and in the case of the Walters Ash site an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

They claim the educational needs of the O’Connor family must be catered for, and health requirements should recognised as Patrick Murphy Jnr suffers from Cerebral Palsy.

The families are seeking permission to station two mobile homes and touring caravans on each site, as well as the creation of hardstanding and a utility/day room.

Residents near the sites have opposed the plans, with Flackwell Heath villagers setting up the Residents Against Inappropriate Development (RAID) group last year to fight the move.

They argue the application to develop the old plant nursery site on Heath End Road constitutes inappropriate development on Green Belt land Solictor

Alan Masters, acting for the families, submitted his closing comments on Friday after presenting his case to Clive Hughes, the Secretary of State’s nominated planning inspector.

He states that the material considerations of the case "present an overwhelming in favour of granting permissions in respect of each site."

He added that there is a clear and identified need for Gypsy and Traveller sites in the district and that both sites provide a solution to the families’ needs in this case.

Robin Green, representing WDC, concluded the harm to the Green Belt and AONB outweighs the needs of the applicants, though admitted their "health and educational needs are plainly deserving of sympathy."

He added that refusal of the appeal would not constitute a disproportionate interference with their human rights as laid out in the European Convention of Human Rights.

Mr Hughes conducted a visit of both sites to assess the potential impact of building on the land.

He also visited two other sites with similar circumstances previously considered by WDC, including a Gypsy site at Field Farm in Wooburn Moor granted permission in February.

No date has been set for a final decision, but WDC planning officers have suggested a timescale of around seven weeks from the closure of the public inquiry.