Residents fight Davenham gipsy site plans

Hundreds of letters and comments have been submitted to Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning department against plans for the site, which is off London Road.

The application is for a change of use from stables to a residential caravan site for two gipsy families with four caravans, including two mobile homes, and two small wooden sheds.

As the Guardian went to press yesterday, Tuesday, more than 160 public comments had been submitted on the council’s website with more than 100 sent in by post or email.

Residents fear the proximity of the site to London Road, the A533,and the busy Peckmill roundabout, how it will impact on the character of the village and on an area of Special Scientific Interest bordering the site and whether it will effect house prices.

They also raise concerns about the site sitting in a green buffer between Davenham and Bostock and between Davenham and the A533 and suggest that more suitable sites are being considered by CWAC as part of their study of traveller accomodation in the borough.

A letter of objection from Davenham Parish Council to CWAC states: “We believe that plans for alternative, more suitable sites locally, satisfy the need for provision of Traveller sites, being more suitable than this, in size and locality.

“The sites already proposed by CWAC were done with consultation from the local traveller community.”

Philip Brown, from Philip Brown Associates Ltd, who is the agent from the plans, said: “The site isn’t green belt, it’s countryside and gipsy sites are appropriate within countryside areas.

“The site itself is reasonably well screened, has good highway access and isn’t close enough to anyone to affect any neighbours.

“Gipsies have to live somewhere and this is as good a site as you are likely to find.

“If these people that have objected have actually come up with any proper objections I’m sure they will be taken into account but I can’t see any proper basis for objecting in this particular case.”