D-day for travellers’site

7:30am Monday 5th January 2009

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COUNCILLORS will this week decide the future of a planning application that could see a travellers’ site in Orford.

The application, for land at Brook House, Sandy Lane West, is earmarked for approval by council planning officials.

But residents living near to the site have presented the council with two petitions totalling 123 signatures, and 76 letters of objection.

Borough councillors Kate Hannon, Mike Hannon, John Kerr-Brown, Brian Maher and Steve Roberts have also objected to the proposals.

Their colleagues on the development control committee will decide on the application at a meeting on Wednesday night.

The concerns of residents and councillors have been rebutted by council officers, who say there is no evidence that the proposal would increase crime, traffic or drainage problems.

The visual impact, they say, is considered to be minimal and the meeting agenda states that the “loss of property value is not a planning consideration”.

Councils are expected to give substantial weight to unmet need when it comes to gipsy caravan sites, the document says.

Therefore, councillors should at least agree temporary planning permission.

Consultations with the aboricultural officer, the highways department, Environmental Health, United Utilities and planning policy produced no objections.

The meeting, at the town hall, will begin at 6.30pm and is open to the public.