Object

Representation ID: 64513

Received: 23/05/2014

Respondent: Mrs Lisa Price

The site has busy, dangerous roads adjacent to it and has a nearby canal. These factors will impact on the safety of children living on the site. Government advice is not to enclose traveller sites but it is difficult to balance the safety needs of the children on this site without enclosing the site and making the occupants feel deliberately isolated from the rest of the community.

The Green Belt should be protected. Government policy and advice is that development should only take place in the Green Belt in exceptional circumstances and the unmet demand for gypsy and traveller sites is not classed as 'exceptional circumstance' sufficient to outweigh the harm it would cause. Notwithstanding this, there are other non-Green Belt site available.

Planning applications have previously been refused on the site due to Green Belt, highway safety issues and the special landscape importance of the site. Now the Council suggests gypsy/traveller site is acceptable because the site is previously developed and has an urban feel. The site is an undeveloped green field which can be used for up to 5 touring caravans and is very different to a permanent site.

There are many similarities to the Kites Nest site which was recently dismissed on appeal; including Green Belt location, landscape and visual impact which would be jarring with the rural character of the area, would be difficult to screen and visible from all directions.

This site should therefore be removed from the list of options.