Albrighton bypass site could be traveller camp

Under plans, the land to the south of Albrighton bypass would be used to station three mobile homes for residential purposes, with the formation of hardstanding and utility and day rooms.

The application is part retrospective.

Albrighton Parish Council has objected to the plans on the grounds that the site is situated within the Green Belt.

Parish clerk Michael Ward said in the objection: “Access to the proposed site is on a fast road on a dangerous bend at the end of a dual carriageway.

Default

“The site is already occupied by caravans despite no planning permission being granted and considerable development has already taken place.

“It has the capacity for considerably more than the number suggested in the retrospective application and it could become a major development within the green belt almost by default.”

In a report, case officer Richard Fortune recommended that the committee grants permission subject to conditions.

The report says that the utility buildings would be single storey with dual pitched roofs, rendered walls and interlocking clay tiles as the roof covering, and would measure 6.5 metres by 3.414 metres.

They would each contain a bathroom and a day room with kitchen fitments.

The report adds: “The agent has explained that the purpose of the utility/day rooms is to enable the occupants of the caravans to minimise the recognised hazards associated with cooking and fire in the close confines of caravans and provide facilities for washing and bathing and the maintenance of basic hygiene.

“A package treatment plant would be used for the disposal of foul sewage and surface water would be disposed of to a sustainable drainage system.”

Mr Fortune says in the report that there are special circumstances which should allow the use of land to become a traveller site.

“It has been established that there is currently no provision available on existing Shropshire Council sites to accommodate this extended family group,” he added.

He also said other factors were their status as Romany Gipsies and educational needs. “The applicant’s family and occupiers of the pitches have been confirmed by the council’s Gypsy Liaison Officer to be Romany Gypsies and it is important to them to live as part of an extended family group.

“The personal circumstances of the occupiers, particularly having regard to the educational needs of the children and the positive attributes of the site in terms of not impacting on residential amenity of existing properties, the proximity of services for the occupants - including education for the children - good access onto an A road, the limited visual impact due to topography and surrounding land uses, the lack of available pitches on authorised traveller sites in Shropshire, the under provision of Gipsy sites in Telford and Wrekin and South Staffs, and the applicant/occupiers being Romany Gypsies are factors which, cumulatively, constitute very special circumstances of sufficient weight to justify inappropriate development in the Green Belt.”The application will go before the Shropshire Council’s south planning committee on Tuesday.