Old Windsor Green Belt traveller site battle continues
Richard Cutcher • Published 31 Aug 2012 09:45
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THE 16-month battle to place a traveller site on Green Belt land will continue after the developer lodged an appeal.
Fred Sines' latest application proposes five travellers' pitchers on land adjacent to his Newtonside Orchard mobile home park, off Burfield Road, Old Windsor.
Mr Sines, himself a traveller who lives in Virginia Water, lodged an appeal to the independent Planning Inspectorate last week after the Royal Borough refused his application.
Simon Hurrell, the borough's head of planning and development, said the plans were an "inappropriate development in the Green Belt" and cited flood risk and parking concerns.
He said the application failed to include a completed planning obligation promising to provide off-site infrastructure and improvements to amenities.
Council planning officers admitted in June they needed to create 10 more traveller pitches in the Royal Borough to adhere to Government regulations.
Mark Southerton, a planning agent working on behalf of Mr Sines, said: "It is a fact that there is a shortfall of travellers pitches in the borough as a whole."
The original application received 23 letters of objection from residents and Old Windsor Parish Council submitted their concerns to the Royal Borough.
Tony Troughton, former chairman of Old Windsor Parish Council and a resident of St Andrew's Close, said: "It was fairly inevitable that an appeal would go in.
Its success or failure will depend on how committed people are to maintaining the Green Belt."
Mr Sines declined to comment.
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