Anger over traveller site decision

Chorley Council does not want traveller families in the borough, according to the representative of a community which has been told it must leave a site where it had hoped to create a permanent home.

The authority’s planning committee this week refused to grant permission for a seven-pitch caravan development on land off Town Lane in Whittle-le-Woods.

Travellers had moved onto the plot last August – before the council had reached a decision on a planning application.

On Tuesday, a majority of councillors on the committee voted to refuse to issue retrospective approval for the scheme – against the advice of the authority’s own planning officers.

The officials had recommended committee members give the green light to the development after road safety concerns over access to the site were addressed.

However, councillors took issue with other aspects of the plans, including the contaminated status of the land – which the Environment Agency said could be overcome with a suitable clean-up – and the impact of the mobile homes on the character of the area.   The latter concern ultimately was ultimately cited as the basis for the refusal.

But Mike Carr, the agent for the application, says he believes several councillors were always looking for an excuse to reject the proposal.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) – which attempted to contact the family for comment – he said the authority had failed to reflect recent legislative changes designed to ensure “fair and equal treatment for travellers”.

“The planning committee failed to properly assess and take account of the new provisions set out in the National Planning Policy Framework and the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites, which reflects very poorly on the decision makers,” Mr. Carr said.

“From the outset, some committee members sought only to find reasons to refuse the application, rather than look to assess how the development could be made acceptable – which is what national planning rules seek to do.

“The committee as a whole also failed to properly consider the welfare of the families and the best interests of the children, which breaches the Equalities Act and contradicts Chorley Council’s public sector equalities duty.

“When one considers further that the same council has already approved a planning permission in principle for houses on the same site, this tells any viewer that this council does not want Gypsy and Traveller people in their borough.”

He confirmed that the applicants would be appealing against the authority’s decision.

Cllr Alex Hilton, cabinet member for planning and development – and a member of the planning committee – was one of two councillors who voted to approve the application.

Responding to the criticism from Mr. Carr, he told the LDRS:  “The planning committee’s role is to scrutinise and make decisions on planning applications, taking into account the application, comments from the public and statutory bodies, and the report prepared by the planning officers.

“The decision on this occasion was made to refuse the application on the basis of the impact on the character of the area, in line with the council’s policies and the national policy framework.  The debate is available to view on our YouTube channel.

“The applicants have a right of appeal which they may wish to exercise – and if there are complaints about the process followed by the planning committee, the council has a complaints procedure which can also be followed.”

Cllr Hilton had initially cautioned colleagues on the committee against pursuing a refusal for reasons related to contamination and road safety, when the advice from statutory advice consultees was that both matters had been dealt with.

He also noted that the authority was unable to show it had a five-year supply of suitable sites for travellers, thereby negating the ‘safeguarded’ status of the land under Chorley Council’s current local plan.