Fairground family can stay in grounds of former Shropshire school

The Stokes family are currently on the site of Ifton Heath Primary School in St Martins, having been granted a 28-day temporary permission.

The family, which includes Alan and Valerie Stokes, their children and Mr Stokes' brother, previously lived at the site of Oswestry Livestock Market, but as work is progressing on the redevelopment of the site the family has had to be relocated.

There had been opposition to the idea of allowing the family to take up residence, living in caravans on the school's playground.

But at Shropshire Council's north planning committee yesterday, Councillor Joyce Barrow said the family has a good name in the town and she could see no reason to refuse permission.

"I think there's a lot of scaremongering about families who live in caravans, but the Stokes family are well known and respected and go back generations in Oswestry and have an excellent reputation," she said.

"The school itself I think is going to be empty for some time to come and this would be a good use for the site."

Sue Schofield, chairman of St Martins Parish Council, said residents were apprehensive about the idea of having the family living at the school.

"I and all of the council have no problem with Alan and Valerie Stokes, their family or their profession," she said.

"The problem is with the way the application had been handled. We were only notified the day after they moved on site, but the council had known that the family will need to be moved for two years."

The move was approved by a majority vote with just one member opposed.

Committee members heard that there is the possibility that the family could be given a permanent home at Treflach quarry, near to Oswestry. But surveys will need to be carried out before it can be approved as a suitable site.