Travellers seek permission to remain on Mostyn site
Retrospective plans have been submitted for a travellers site in Mostyn after Flintshire County Council issued an enforcement notice.
The site – opposite the Lime Bank development of Ffordd Pennant – already has a number of caravans sited on it despite being designated as agricultural land.
According to the planning statement included in the application Flintshire County Council has already issued an enforcement notice to halt the use of the land for residential purposes.
But an application has been made by a Mr John Doherty to retroactively approve the site as a six-pitch traveller site. If granted the application would also approve the hard standing and gravel that has been laid.
“There are clear grounds supporting the granting of planning permission,” wrote agent S Buckley in a statement on behalf of the applicant.
“The site is currently occupied by Gypsy and Traveller families who require caravan-based accommodation in order to maintain their cultural way of life.
“The proposal provides a small-scale family site and must therefore be considered within the context of the recognised shortage of authorised Gypsy and Traveller pitches within Flintshire.
“Recent appeal decisions have confirmed that the shortage of suitable sites is a significant material consideration when determining applications of this nature.”
The statement cited the recent case of a site in Alltami in Mold being granted permission on appeal.
“In circumstances where there is a recognised lack of authorised pitches, the planning system must take a pragmatic approach when considering proposals that provide accommodation for Gypsy and Traveller families,” it said.
“The reasoning applied by the Planning Inspector in the recent Alltami appeal supports the view that where there is a clear need for traveller pitches and no suitable alternatives exist, a small-scale site may be justified even where it is located in the countryside.
“There is a recognised shortage of authorised traveller sites within Flintshire and the council’s own evidence confirms that additional pitches are required. The families currently occupying the site have a genuine cultural need for caravan-based accommodation and there are limited alternative options available within the area.”
The closing date for consultation responses is Thursday, May 14.
By Alec Doyle – Local Democracy Reporter
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