Gipsies win right to stay
A FAMILY of gipsies are delighted they have been given planning permission to stay on land at Churcham.
Terry Smith, 46, and his wife Shirley, 45, were unanimously given the go-ahead to keep their four caravans at Oak Tree Park, Main Road, Churcham.
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relief: Terry and Shirley Smith on their land by the A40 at Churcham.
They live at the site, beside the main A40, with their children Shirley, 20, Terry, 18, and Dean, 16, and Terry's parents Connor, 72, and Alice Smith, 74.
Addressing Tuesday's meeting of Forest of Dean District Council's development control committee the family explained why living in Churcham was so important to them.
Mrs Smith said: "My father-in-law has been in hospital for a month and my mother-in-law has to attend appointments at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital for the rest of her life.
"They aren't just my husband's parents but they're my children's grandparents. We're a family.
"We desperately need to live there. We've been all around Gloucestershire to try and find other sites to no avail."
Councillors sympathised with the Smiths' plight.
Coun George Read (Ind, Mitcheldean and Drybrook) said: "This site is very clean and tidy and there are no complaints from that area whatsoever. I fully support their applications."
The Smiths are Romany gipsies and the family has lived in the area for more than 50 years.
They applied for temporary planning permission to use the land for a gipsy site for two mobile homes and a touring caravan in December 2004 but it was refused.
In May 2005 the family's application was allowed on appeal.
The latest application is temporary and will last five years giving the Smiths a chance to secure an alternative site.
Speaking afterwards Shirley said: "I'm very pleased. We get on well with everyone in the village."
19 Comments
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by angie, glos
Monday, September 15 2008, 11:24PM
“I cant see what all the fuss is about terry and his family are the same as any of you ..they dont need to buy a house to live the way they want to ( anon,fod ) they are clean decent and honest working people .. i see you asking the papers ect to leave members of your family alone tonight and here you are slagging off another family ... Terry is a decent man and would go out of his way to help anyone so please let people live the way they wont to :)”
by b, g
Monday, September 15 2008, 8:33AM
“If they cause no trouble then all I read here is one family being tarned with the same brush (I think thats how the saying goes) If the family are willing to keep the site clean and make a contribution to the local economy. Get jobs and the like then let them stay.”
by sandra, cheltenham
Sunday, September 14 2008, 8:38PM
“I am all for supporting people who help put things in to the community but please tell me what this family do to enhance our town.”
by worker, down in the dumps
Sunday, September 14 2008, 8:16PM
“What is the point of being a tax paying hard worker. I am struggling to support my family. If i go on benefits would i be better off ? I know i would not have to worry about paying the bills like i do now and my wife could afford to go to bingo with the chance of winning some money .Then we could buy a caravan yeah.”
by Mr C Gull, Hempstead
Sunday, September 14 2008, 7:57PM
“43, 22, 17....house OPPS SORRY CARAVAN..”
by sucker, bingo
Sunday, September 14 2008, 7:50PM
“What do you mean taxis to go to school my kids have to walk over a mile to school whatever the weather. I think i might give up work and let all the tax payers keep me and my kids i have done my bit.Oh well off to gala.”
by Leonie, Cheltenham
Sunday, September 14 2008, 4:19AM
“I say let them be, if they're doing no harm and they choose to live that way... sounds like most of the locals don't have a problem with them if there are no complaints.”
by Bryn, Forest of Dean
Saturday, September 13 2008, 8:36PM
“i have no problem with them living in Churcham,just don't send them to the Forest”
by Terry, lisburn
Saturday, September 13 2008, 6:05PM
“Listen to your selves I new the smiths when I lived in Minsterworth they lived by the romany code and caused no trouble to any one. They helped on farms in the districk and where always on time and worked hard and thats a bit more than the young today.”
by anon, gloucester
Saturday, September 13 2008, 5:59PM
“I am from churcham and i can assure everyone reading that they are not welcome there! Lock up your mowers and chainsaws!!!”