MP supports campaign to block development of Travellers’ site in Wimblington - Cambridgeshire

From Wisbech Standard 24

One hundred people packed a village hall to protest at plans to expand a small Travellers’ site.

The protestors have now won the backing of NE Cambs MP Steve Barclay in their bid to get the plans thrown out.

The application to create an extra eight Traveller pitches, including four mobile homes and four touring caravan pitches at Wimblington was opposed by residents who attended last week’s meeting of Wimblington Parish Council.

That resulted in a public meeting held in the village on Monday, with more than 100 villagers turning out to voice their concerns over the Cedar Cottage, Hook Road site.

The MP says the plan is “the wrong development in the wrong location” has written to Fenland District Council to underline the residents’ concerns about the impact of a further site on the village community.

Mr Barclay said: “There is no street lighting, no infrastructure and it is Zone 3 flood land on this site. Such a development will be completely out of character with the surrounding landscape and does not feature in any village plan. It is simply the wrong development in the wrong location.

“The suggestion by the proposed developer, who I understand is a resident in Berkshire, is that Fenland has not met its quota for Traveller sites. The facts do not support this. I understand Fenland has more Traveller sites than any other district in the county. The residents are right to flag this as a matter of concern and I will be supporting them in their campaign to put a halt to these plans.”

Mr Barclay says Fenland has six local authority sites, comprising 67 permanent pitches, nine transit pitches, together with 50 private pitches, which collectively provide sites for around 300 caravans.

By contrast, Cambridge City has no local authority provision and only one private site with five caravans located on it.

Mr Barclay said: “It is clear Fenland has significantly more Traveller sites than other districts in the county, and those suggesting we need more should address why other areas have not added greater capacity in recent years”.

Philip Brown, who has submitted the application on behalf a Mr Doran, said the site was already partly developed for caravans.

Mr Brown said it was too far away from adjacent properties to have any adverse impact, and the proposal would be well screen by existing hedgerows and buildings.

Further landscaping, he said, would be carried out.

Because the district council is reviewing its Travellers’ site policy, the application might not go before the planning committee until the New Year.