Gypsy family get permission to stay in Whiteparish - Wiltshire

From the Salisbury Journal

A GYPSY family can continue living in a field near Whiteparish, a planning inspector has ruled.

William Clarke and his family were granted temporary permission by a planning inspector in 2009 to use Tricky’s Paddock in Brickworth Road for three years, but this ran out in September 2012.

He asked Wiltshire Council to allow them to permanently live on the land, but the council’s southern area planning committee refused his application and Mr Clarke took the matter to an appeal hearing.

Inspector Nicholas Freeman heard in July that the mobile home, which is in the south east corner of the field, is enclosed by maturing mixed hedgerows and the rest of the field is rough pasture, which Mr Clarke sometimes keeps horses on.

Mr Clarke has also made efforts to ensure the mobile home blends in with the countryside surroundings, with dark stained timber boards on the side facing the road, and the sides and rear painted brown to match. The inspector noted the nearby farm buildings were much more dominant features in the landscape.

Mr Freeman said the “level of harm to the character and appearance of the countryside has been reduced since the last appeal was considered”.

He added that there is no space on existing Gypsy sites, and there are significant waiting lists.

He said Mr Clarke and his family can continue to live on the site, but the use should be limited to them with no other families permitted to move there.

If they leave, the land should be restored to its previous condition. He also said Mr Clarke can keep his touring caravan on the land and that a drainage system, such as a septic tank, should be installed as permanent permission is being granted.