Gypsy site gets green light (From Stroud News and Journal)

Gypsy site gets green light

PLANNERS yesterday gave overwhelming approval to plans for a gypsy encampment at Brookthorpe.

Stroud District Council development control committee voted 17 to 2 in favour of a retrospective application for a residential gypsy caravan site of 15 pitches on 1.2 hectares of land at Naas Lane despite vigorous objections from parishioners.

Afterwards gypsy applicant Herbert Varey declared himself "over the moon" with a decision he called a "lifeline" for the community.

Confessing surprise at the weight of support from the committee, he said: "They proved to be real people with a real point of view."

And in a conciliatory message to his neighbours, he added: "We're not there to cause anyone any trouble. We just want somewhere to live."

But Brookthorpe with Whaddon parish councillors were aggrieved by the decision. Cllr Bruce Wiggall said he was "disappointed and shocked".

He added: "I feel the decision was not made purely on planning grounds. I think they were worried about possible future legal action rather than the planning issues that should have been considered."

The application had excited considerable interest with both the public gallery and press benches brimming to hear debate.

In the end councillors followed officer advice that human rights outweighed any harm to the environment and passed the application, with just the odd dissenting voice.

Cllr Brian Marsh said: "Where are the human rights of people who are actually in the village now? We keep on about the gypsy and travellers human rights but it appears there are no rights for the population."

But Cllr Timothy Frankau (Con, Dursley) said: "I really don't think it's going to impinge on the lives of the villagers and I don't think their human rights are going to be infringed. I know people don't like the way it has been gone about but it's the best of a bad job and I don't think people are going to suffer from it."

Calling on the gypsy's to honour the faith put in them by the council, Cllr Graham Littleton (Con, Hardwicke) said: "At the end of the day we all have to try and live together."