Travellers lose appeal for Birch Green caravan site - Hertfordshire

From the Mercury

A FAMILY who appealed for a Traveller site in Birch Green have had their case dismissed.

Myley Cash and his relatives, who controversially moved their caravans onto land by the Old Coach Road in September 2011 and were evicted more than a month later, have lost their appeal to the Government’s Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The decision was announced last Thursday (August 29), but the family have vowed to keep fighting for the site.

A spokesman for the appellants told the Mercury: “The family are very disappointed with the decision.

“They should have at least got temporary permission.

“The inspector said there’s an urgent need for pitches and East Herts Council had failed to provide enough pitches.

“We’ve lost this round but we will try again and we think we are going to get this eventually.

“The inspector said it needs more screening and planting.

“We are going to appeal to the High Court.”

He added: “We feel politics got involved with this. We feel there was a lot of unfair play.”

The district council and East Herts chief inspector welcomed the decision.

Cllr Malcolm Alexander (Con, Ware Trinity), the executive member for community safety and environment, said: “We are very pleased that the Secretary of State, after weighing up all the arguments for and against, has agreed with the council that a private gypsy and Traveller site would be wrong on this site.

“He has agreed with the council that, although there is a shortage of designated plots for gypsies and Travellers, this particular proposal would be an inappropriate development on Green Belt land and would significantly harm the character of the area.

“Should there be any further appeals, the council will continue to do all it can to protect the Green Belt that residents of the district value so highly.”

Chief inspector Gerry McDonald said: “My role is to ensure there’s no public order or breach of peace and I welcome the decision made in relation to this.

“There were concerns raised by residents which have now been reviewed through the planning process.”

The officer admitted in the decision letter, which was written on behalf of the Secretary of State, that there was a shortage of pitches and said: “The Secretary of State is satisfied that the evidence suggests that there is a current shortfall in the provision of pitches locally and that this is likely to be significant.

“He attaches considerable weight to this matter.”

However, more weight was given to the harm to the Green Belt.

The letter stated: “The Secretary of State considers that the introduction of caravans, vehicles and other residential paraphernalia associated with three residential pitches would diminish the otherwise open nature of the site.”