Travellers leave site near Oswestry due to family feuds and anti-social behaviour

Roy Evans and his family have been granted planning permission to move to a site in Gobowen because of the poor quality of life at the Park Hall traveller site near Oswestry, where they currently live.

Mr Evans asked Shropshire Council for permission to place one static caravan, one touring caravan and one amenity block and sewage treatment system on the site of a current pony paddock in Five Crosses, Gobowen and has now been granted permission.

It comes after Mr Evans said he could no longer live at the Park Hall site due to the antisocial behaviour.

A statement from the family in the planning application, said: “Roy Evans and his wife Christine currently live on Shropshire Council’s Gypsy family site at Park Hall, Oswestry, having lived there for 38 years and still have an ongoing nomadic habit of life visiting horse fairs, Christian conventions, relations etc.

“Mr and Mrs Evans are of retirement age and their children have grown up on Park Hall but have since, married and have children of their own. Their families and grandchildren live locally in Shropshire and Wrexham.

Desperate

“The Park Hall site has become unbearable for Mr and Mrs Evans for various reasons including regular visits from the police due to incidents, the untidiness of the site, overcrowding and many other issues which have been regularly reported to the council’s gypsy liaison officer and his staff.

“The application site at Gobowen is owned by Mr Evans where he has kept his ponies. It is in a good location for all amenities and walking distance to both Gobowen and Oswestry town.”

It added: “The applicants and their family are Romany gypsy travellers by birth, culture and decent, having been brought up in the traditional way of life and satisfy the definition of a gypsy and traveller.

"The application is submitted because there is a desperate need to move from Park Hall but to be close to the location for hospitals and medical centres.

“There is a need to be away from the friction between families on the Park Hall site.

“It is important they have a permanent registered address to settle in particular near to their registered doctors and hospitals and the amenities you need for settled living standards.”

Granting permission for the move, planning case officer Mark Perry, said: “The applicant wish to move from their existing camp because it has become unbearable for them to live there.”