Enforcement notice for Newent travellers
Travellers who set up camp near Newent have been given an enforcement notice by Forest of Dean District council.
A dozen families arrived at the field in Southend Lane on Friday and worked around the clock to make the site their home.
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They laid a hard surface, put up portable toilets, dug a cesspit and 12 separate plots were fenced off.
The Forest of Dean District Council says they will be serving an Enforcement Notice requesting the owners cease using the site for the stationing of residential caravans and to return the site to its existing use as agricultural land.
Interim head of paid service Sue Pangbourne said:“This incident is complicated by the fact that the travellers actually own the site so there is no element of trespass and the Council can only deal with a breach of planning control.
“We understand that local residents are greatly concerned by this unauthorised activity but because the current works are unlikely to cause irreversible harm, remedies such as a stop notice would not be an appropriate use of the powers available to us as a planning authority.
“Whilst our decision and the time scales of any appeal will inevitably cause frustration locally, it has to be remembered that no rules had been broken before the late afternoon on Friday 22 May.”
16 Comments
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by bobby, forest
Wednesday, June 17 2009, 1:13PM
“the travellers have a site to live on as they own it,at least you know where they are and not living on the side of the road to cause problems. the problem with this country is to pass the buck on to someone else.these travellers are here to stay,like every thing else,just got to put up with it. they have EU RIGHTS.”
by Simon Rickards, Newent
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 8:57AM
“Adge, yes I have internet and I am not 'pitched' - it's a static mobile home!”
by rob mann, gloucestershire
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 8:19AM
“tricky trickster
i agree that these people have acted wrong but in the eyes of the law if they submit an application they have broken no rules that is a fact. my case is simply dont think the council will sort this out as they part caused the problem, what are they going to do? government money is available”
by Not So Sure, The 'Wolds
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 5:40AM
“Calm down everyone. There is a due process for dealing with this, but it'll take a while. If you build a new house in your garden, or put up a big extension without planning permission, they wouldn't come and tear it down the day you move in. There is a planning process, and it can take some time. If this site is deemed unsuitable by FODDC, and the owners do not revert it to agricultural land then the enforcement officers will arrange to have it cleared.
I live near another traveller camp and have seen no trouble. Remember - they own this land just like you own your house - they wont want any trouble.”
by Rhod, Perth WA
Wednesday, May 27 2009, 4:57AM
“In the Citizen last year I read a story about the guy in the Cotswolds who was evicted from the shack he built on his own farmland.
He had been there for some years. But the kicked him out, demolished his shack and charged him in the process.
Double standards?”