BRENTWOOD: Travellers' delight at planning win

By [aleys]

A FATHER has spoken of his relief that the threat of eviction has been lifted after six years of uncertainty.

The decision to grant temporary planning permission allowing traveller families to remain on unofficial pitches at Treetops, in Curtis Mill Lane, Navestock, is the first step in allocating permanent sites for gipsies in the borough.

The traveller who asked to remain anonymous, said: "We are absolutely delighted."

He has been in Navestock for six years and claims the only reason they applied for retrospective planning was to give the council room to manoeuvre out of an appeal process it was almost certain to lose.

He added: "This is the first stage. Now we have got to get the other 12 pitches through.

"All travellers want is somewhere to settle, instead of being pushed around. We've got to settle and have a bit of peace.

"This is our home."

The site had appeared on a shortlist of five possible locations for traveller sites in Brentwood.

A public consultation was supposed to be carried out to establish where would be most appropriate for the 15 pitches that the council must provide.

However, the planning committee went ahead with the decision to grant permission allowing the families to remain for the next three years last Tuesday without any consultation.

There has been massive criticism from Navestock residents who fear Brentwood council has a lack of authority when it comes to enforcing planning law.

Parish council chairman Adrian Enkel said: "It was pretty much what we thought would happen. But Brentwood council is in terrible trouble because their policy for gipsy provision just isn't working."

Chairman of the council planning committee, Cllr Linda Golding defended the decision, admitting they were likely to lose at appeal.

"Prior to this planning matter, Treetops was one of the locations listed within the Development Plan Document as a site to undergo public consultation.

"This, together with the fact that in similar cases within the borough in the last few years, inspectors have granted planning permission for anything between three and five years, left Brentwood council with little option other than to grant temporary permission or risk a decision being overturned, with substantial costs."

The other four sites earmarked for traveller pitches are Beads Hall Lane, in Pilgrims Hatch, Stock Lane, in Ingatestone, Roman Triangle, in Mountnessing and Hope Farm in Goatswood Lane, again in Navestock.