Council receives application for a Traveller site expansion

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

A fresh planning application to legitimise an extension of a traveller site in Blaina has been lodged with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and will suspend action to remove families from the site.

The application has been submitted by Mr and Mrs Bridges is for: “The retention of the use of land as an extension to the existing travellers site to accommodate five pitches for family members.

“to construct a communal utility room block, retention of timber fencing, installation of private treatment plant with access and ecological improvements.”

Families have been living on the unauthorised extension since 2021.

A previous retrospective application to legitimise the extension was refused by the council’s Planning Committee in October 2022.

Planning agents Hayston Developments and Planning LTD have lodged a number of documents in support of the application.

These show legal challenges by travellers for sites in other parts of Wales have overturned previous refusals and failed appeals.

Report

They also include parts of a report from the Senedd’s Local Government and Housing Committee report from 2022 which showed “wide-ranging failures” by the Welsh Government and local authorities in providing adequate sites for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.

The report found that more sites were needed and that those which already existed have poor facilities.

In July at a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Planning, councillors were given an update on an appeal against enforcement action being taken by the council against the unauthorised site.

In April, Welsh Government planning inspectors rejected an appeal against a decision by the council to take enforcement action which would evict families from the site.

As a result of the appeal being dismissed, the clock had started ticking on the 28-day enforcement action compliance period.

As the travellers had not left the site during that time they were “in breach” of that notice in July.

However, the submission of the planning application has changed the situation.

A spokeswoman for Blaenau Gwent council said: “The council has served an enforcement notice which was appealed to the Planning & Environment Decisions Wales division of Welsh Government.

“That appeal was unsuccessful and the enforcement notice remains in place.

“A planning application has been received and the council will not take further action in respect of the enforcement notice whilst the planning application is being considered and decided upon.”

A decision on the application is expected by October 21.