Residents took their fight to prevent a gypsy site being built off Moor Lane to Mobberley yesterday.
About fifty local residents attended a planning committee meeting of Mobberley Parish Council to express their concern over plans for a gypsy pitch on green belt land.
The proposed site is on the outskirts of Wilmslow but falls within the Parish of Mobberley.
Earlier in the week over 100 local residents attended a meeting of the Wilmslow Town Council Planning Committee to object to the plans which have been submitted by Matthew Green, of Green Planning Solutions, who has been dubbed the 'Gypsy King' for his tireless advocacy for gypsies seeking the legitimization of illegal dwellings on green belt sites.
The submitted plans for the 0.46 hectare site, which show one proposed mobile home, one proposed touring caravan and a proposed utility/day room, have been criticised for being unclear and many residents fear the intention is for a lot more caravans to occupy this site.
Speaking at last night's meeting Terry Sleigh of Moor Lane said "What we have to consider is that it is green belt which can only be built on in exceptional circumstances. I do not see any reason for any sort of exceptional circumstances.
"If what is proposed did go ahead we are looking at hard standing for one caravan with a day room which contains washing facilities, toilet facilities and cooking facilities. Why on earth do they need a day room for one caravan?
"We will see a lot of the travelling community coming down to this plot.
"It will have a huge impact on the environment which is already under threat at Lindow Moss and lead to increased traffic on a single track road with no curbs, which is already carrying more traffic than we would want to see. This will increase damage to the road surface and congestion.
"There will also be an impact on local schools as the travelling community have a right to education. All the schools have an outstanding performance and are already full but they will have to take the children and provide free school meals and uniforms that are paid for by us."
Concerns were also raised about the effect on local amenities, such as sewage and rubbish collection and a couple of residents asked why a private application needs to be considered when Cheshire East Council has already allocated sites for the travelling community.
A lady who has run a business on Water Lane for the past 14 years said "Every time gypsies are in town we have to be overstaffed and all holidays are cancelled. It is an absolute nightmare with shoplifting - the knock on effect for local traders will be immense."
Whilst there was a lot of fear in the room it was acknowledged by local residents that they need to oppose the application on planning grounds, most importantly the fact it is green belt land.
It was also suggested that a group of local residents get together and get some professional advice "because the people who put in the application have paid a lot of money to get experts."
Terry Sleigh added "A group of us have been knocking on doors to ask people to oppose the application. We have been surprised at how many people are still ignorant of the plans."
Members of Mobberley Parish Council Planning Committee voted unanimously to recommend refusal of the planning application.
The planning application, reference 12/1144M, can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website. Representations have to be submitted by May 11th and at the time of writing over 130 objections to this planning application had been submitted to Cheshire East Council.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
It is so important that as many people as possible object to this development. We cannot afford to sit back and assume that others will do something on our behalf. We must act ourselves.
There is some feeling that as the applicants have enlisted the help of "Green Planning Solutions", that the concerned people of Wilmslow and Mobberley should do the same. To seek the advice and representation of a professional would be costly. Would you as local residents and businesses be prepared to fund such an adventure if it was felt to be necessary?
Mr Allen and his agents Green Planning, may feel inclined to take a profit on this bit of land if it was made available for housing.
Therefore I have taken it upon myself to organise for my road to get together to discuss how we tackle this problem and many other issues that we have regarding our area.
I suggest that other people do the same and then collectively we can organise a much larger get together to voice our feelings about this problem and any other things that crop up.
We could even call it the Wilmslow Residents Association - WRA (unless anybody knows of another similar organisation then please let me know) I am willing to help if needs be, I can type, produce marketing literature and set up a database - my number is 01625 530 984, please contact if you wish to become involved.
Also if you do wish to register an objection to this planning application then may I suggest that you do NOT mention that you object of the grounds of it becoming a gypsy site, as this has the effect that if many people object on those grounds then the Council have to show that they are not bending to the discrimination of many locals and therefore will grant the application just to prove they are impartial, so your objections can have the opposite affect to the outcome you desire.
If you have objection to the proposed site then you must state that it is because this is greenbelt land and that you are concerned about the impact on the area and its wildlife.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Objections or comments can be made on the planning application using the online comments form on the Cheshire East website:
http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/environment_and_planning/planning/view_a_planning_application.aspx
Objections should focus on environmental impact, ecological impact, infrastructure, misuse of greenbelt land etc. Leave the emotion out of the argument. It bears no weight in the debate. Good luck. And pass on the message to local friends and neighbours.
http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/environment_and_planning/planning/view_a_planning_application.aspx
It was dated 1/5/2012 concerning one of the applicants sons who need special treatment and has to go to a Manchester hospital and by being in wilmslow it would be nearer for them to travel, whilst I do have full sympathy it cannot be deemed as essential to this application.
It is a personal problem and if it was so vital why wasn't it mentioned when in the first place I.e. the original date of the application and not so late in the day,, something a bit iffy don't you think?
Thank you
While I sympathise with any family engaged in the medical welfare of their children, I do fail to see the relevance of these statements to the "planning" application. These are emotional offerings, not planning legitimacies.
If there is so much concern for the access to the hospital so that the young boy can receive the necessary treatment, perhaps the family should give up their "travellers'" rights and move into a house in order to support their child. Only an idea!
I do again feel that it is necessary to question the need for a "day room". According to the planning application we are talking about the needs of five people. Many of the mobile homes that I have been in have better facilities than my house! Why the need for extra washing/toilet and cooking facilities (unless there is the intention to invite others to join them on the site)?
Green Planning Solutions speak of the need of such a facility due to the possibility of fire when cooking in a caravan!
Excuse me for being a cynic, but how many of us have holidayed in a caravan or know people that live in one permanently that have never had any problem with the cooking/heating/washing facilities? I know of a fair number!
A final point, in no way connected with this application (of course not. Sarcasm? No)! But how many of us are aware of the travellers who are "living" on various plots down Carr Lane. They wouldn't be waiting to hitch up their vans, would they?
I hope to see many at the meeting in the "Rifleman's" at 1 o'clock on Saturday.
I have since emailed George Osbourne.
The following is a copy of that email.
"Sir,
We in Wilmslow are in need of your support.
A planning application has been made to develop a field that is part of our Green Belt.
This application (12/1144M) has been made by a Mr. John Allen for the development of a Gypsy caravan site. The application asks for the placing of a mobile home for the five members of Mr. Allen's family. It also asks for the building of a "day room" which will have washing, toilet and cooking facilities. Why is this required when many mobile homes have better facilities than my house?
The field in question is situated adjacent to Lindow Moss (from which "Lindow Pete" was removed). The moss is a conservation area, home to a number of endangered species.
The field is accessed from a single track road that is a bridle path, walkway to numerous ramblers and access road to isolated homes and a residential mobile home park.
I believe that the Government policy on the development of Green Belt for Gypsy/Traveller sites is that this should not happen unless there are exceptional circumstances. The exceptional circumstances offered by the applicant are that his son has glaucoma and requires access to Manchester Eye Hospital and that his three children are already in a "local” school. In this area they would also have the support of family and friends.
I have been informed that these are not exceptional circumstances that are relevant to a planning application.
At the moment three parish councils, Wilmslow, Chorley and Mobberley have rejected the proposal and are forwarding this recommendation to Cheshire East.
At this time, there have been over 340 objections to this application by email, in addition to the objections sent by post.
Local feeling is vehemently opposed to this application. An application that has been brought to light at the same time as the publication of the planning proposals for the "Wilmslow Vision", which also involves the loss of local Green Belt for the development of "affordable" housing in the immediate area.
It has also come to light that Cheshire East has already allocated twelve potential sites for the development of Traveller sites. So surely it is not necessary to allow the sanctioning of a private application?
It would be a crisis should a "Dale Farm" situation occur following the objections from the people of Wilmslow, Mobberley and Chorley, who have elected to live in a Conservative run borough".
I will be contacting Cheshire East Planning to get confirmation of all the appropriate dates.
Once known I will post the dates on this site.
I think it would be safe to say that the overwhelming majority of opinions expressed at the meeting were that nobody wanted this green belt land to be developed for any purposes whatsoever. Several issues were raised that would make it unsatisfactory, these being access, Japanese knot weed, drainage, historical heritage, wildlife, removal of waste, recycling of rubbish.
We discussed the plan of action to be taken to try to ensure that the planning department were aware that there are many strong objections to this planning and to this end everybody decided to get as many people as possible, including themselves, to write and email to object to this application in the strongest terms possible.
It was also decided that given the short amount of time available before the deadline, we would get as many people to attend the planning meeting in Macclesfield to observe the decision process. A gentleman at the Rifleman's meeting is going to inform us when and what time that meeting will be. Please keep looking at this site for that information.
In the event that this planning application is granted, we would then have a further meeting to see if we can get a local solicitor involved to help us fight an appeal.
In the meantime we still need to find a local Solicitor so if anybody knows of one who is willing or if indeed you are a local solicitor and would like to help then please get in contact!!!!
It was suggested that a Wilmslow Residents Association (WRA) should be started, organised properly, a small membership fee, a database, properly managed and audited, so that all Wilmslow resident members have a collective power to review all future situations such as this, and we would be in a much stronger position in the future.
I have been informed that there are three other groups, including Fulshaw Park residents association and Dean Row residents are planning a meeting in the near future and I will try to find out when and where this will be so that as many of us as possible can attend to give them our support.
If you have any comments that may be helpful then please post them on this site or get in touch.
Thank you everybody for your support.
Alternative names may be:
S Wilmslow RA
Moor La/Cumber La RA
Fulshaw RA
Lindow Moss RA
thus this local group could combine with other wilmslow RAs in matters of joint interest, eg the Vision.
http://moderngov.cheshireeast.gov.uk/ecminutes/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=285
http://moderngov.cheshireeast.gov.uk/ecminutes/mgCommitteeMailingList.aspx?ID=285