The refusal of plans to turn a farmer’s field into a travellers’ caravan site has been overturned on appeal.
In July, Peterborough City Council’s planning committee refused permission for a retrospective application to change the use of land at Lincoln Road, near Glinton, into a residential caravan park for four traveller families.
The council then served an enforcement notice to remove all caravans, motorhomes and hardstanding after work had been carried out without permission in May.
The site is in a field (on the left of picture) near a small number of homes
But planning inspector Elizabeth Pleasant upheld an appeal by applicant Martin McDonagh against the planning decision and granted change of use.
It allows two caravans per family, including no more than one static caravan or mobile home, hardstanding, two amenity buildings and improved access.
However, a second appeal against the enforcement notice was dismissed by the inspector who ordered that work already carried out which exceeded the submitted plans must be undone.
The view of the site from a neighbouring house – work was initially carried out without permission in May
A number of conditions were added to the planning approval, including providing details of drainage, noise mitigation, access, landscaping and habitat management schemes.
Lincoln Road resident Andrea Page said residents were “disappointed and disgusted” with the “inadequate support” of the council’s case officers at the Inspectorate’s review meeting, saying they did not ‘fully reflect’ the councillors rejection’ or views of local people.
“We are not surprised, however, given this Government’s desire to foist unpopular and inappropriate planning decisions on local communities,” she said.
“The Inspectorate’s outcome and extensive list of conditions is also lazy decision-making to say the least.
“In her report, she clearly acknowledges the significant harms caused to local residents and the unsuitability of the site, yet rather than acknowledge this explicitly with a much fairer rejection, instead sets out some very high bars for the travellers to meet.”
The inspector said the application met a national need for more traveller sites, in line with national planning policy, concluding that “harm to the character or appearance of the area would not be significant”.
The view of the site from a neighbouring house – work was initially carried out without permission in May
The application received 32 objections, including noise, flood risk and the impact of development on the ‘green wedge’ separating Glinton and Werrington.
Glinton Parish Council also said they had received reports of anti-social behaviour and intimidation from the site.
Mrs Pleasant said there would be a ‘small degree of harm’ to the open characteristics of the green wedge, but that it would be ‘limited’ due to the size of the development and its closeness to neighbouring properties.
“The introduction of four additional families could not be considered to overwhelm that community given the scale and number of existing properties and their occupiers on Lincoln Road”, she said, adding “the proposed development would not be isolated, it would be well related to existing built development which adjoins the site.”