Plans for Oakenholt traveller site denied by Flintshire council

Plans for a new four-pitch permanent traveller site in Oakenholt have been turned down by Flintshire County Council.

The partially retrospective application, for a site on Kelsterton Road opposite Cae Cottages, was refused permission by planning officers as it was outside the proposed Gypsy Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) provision and there was no significant shortfall of sites within the county.

In his proposal, the applicant highlighted a significant shortfall in provision of council pitches across Flintshire, which this development would help to solve.

The plans would create a four pitch site, with access from Kelsterton Road, with a flat, permeable surface and a brick-built day room.

However, officers rejected this – highlighting it had made 33 pitches available for travellers throughout the county. This exceeds the target set as part of the current GTAA of 27 new pitches.

Those currently living on the site – including 13 children – may now have to leave if the the local authority issues an enforcement notice to restore the land to its previous state.

“Since the GTAA was drafted in February 2022, significant progress has been made to deliver sites to help meet identified needs,” said the planning decision. “Since this time, four of the pitches under consideration at the time of the GTAA have been allowed and another seven were allowed at appeal in 2023. This is in addition to the 22 pitches under consideration at the time of the GTAA.”

There were also specific issues around how close the proposed development is to the existing water main – as it is situated within a protection zone – safe access to the highway from the site, a lack of mitigation of noise from Shotton Power Station for site residents, a lack of a green infrastructure statement and the impact of the development on the sewage network.