Another step in south Warwickshire green belt land Gypsy saga

From the Leamington Spa Courier

An appeal put forward by Gypsies who have been living on green belt land in south Warwickshire without planning consent has been heard at Leamington town hall.

After being denied consent for their eight caravan pitches on land in Kites Nest Lane in Beausale, the families were ordered to leave the site in September last year - but because they appealed the High Court order, they have continued to live there while waiting for a decision on their appeal.

The appeal - which will now be considered by the Secretary of State for Local Government - was heard over four days, ending last Friday.

Speaking for the Gypsies, Stuart Hardwick Carruthers, said: “If pitches for the Gypsies can be provided at Europa Way in Leamington, the number required at Kites Nest Lane can be reduced to four.

“Warwick District Council has failed to make provision for the Gypsy and traveller community, despite there being an identifiable demand in the district.

“A temporary consent should be awarded to enable the occupiers to not become homeless while the council completes its consultation on its Local Plan.”

But Hugo Richards, on behalf of Warwick District Council, argued: “The Secretary of State previously decided that the harm to the green belt was too substantial to be acceptable for even a limited period of time and that anything longer than one year would ‘unacceptably prolong the identified harm’.

“That one year expired in September 2012. It would be odd if the Secretary of State came to radically different conclusions in this appeal.”

Jack Smyth, on behalf of the Friends of the Green Belt campaign group, said: “It is now some nine months since the appellants ought to have complied with the extant enforcement notice.

“It is now over three years since the unauthorised development was undertaken. Enough is enough. The planning merits point decisively against the granting of consent.”