U-turn over site for caravans

Travellers may have lost their fight to stay on land in Shropshire after a U-turn by councillors who kicked out the controversial application.

The latest decision comes after travellers were originally granted permission to stay on the land near Richards Castle less than two months ago.

The decision had proved to be a victory for the applicant, farmer Tom Evans, after a 17-year battle for the 10-pitch site.

But yesterday the planning application went back to South Shropshire District Council's development control committee after legal issues were flagged up.

During the meeting planning officers, who had recommended the scheme for approval, and councillors were divided over the proposal for the site at Wheatcommon Lane.

Councillors turned down the application but South Shropshire District Council's head of planning Jake Berriman said the matter would now go to a full council meeting because he felt the reasons for the refusal were not strong enough.

"It is a change of policy that means this should go to full council and let the councillors make up their minds," said Councillor Viv Parry, who strongly objected to the application.

Mr Evans today said he had already spent thousands on getting his land ready for the travellers.

He said: "I have had people phoning me last night because they thought they would be able to come today.

"I am quite angry, they just want somewhere to go."

Development control manager, Robert Mills, today, said: "The committee felt that the scale of the proposal was disproportionate to the size of the local community."