Memorandum by South Cambridgeshire District
Council (TF 62)
The comments of The Showmen's Guild misrepresents
the position in South Cambridgeshire. This Council has approved
two applications for the use of land for the storage and maintenance
of fairground equipment and the siting of mobile residential units.
One site is at Whaddon and the other at Ickleton.
As far as I am aware one other application has
been submitted in the District. This was submitted in 1998 and
initially proposed the use of approximately 2 hectares of land
as a travelling showpeople's site involving 40 separate mobile
home plots. It was subsequently amended to reduce the site area
to cater for 12 family units only. The site had a history of planning
enforcement relating to unauthorised siting of caravans and was
located virtually opposite a designated travellers site. The application
was refused and I enclose a copy of the decision notice so that
you can see the reasons for that decision.
The decision was made in the full understanding
of the advice contained in Circular 22/91 but the particular history
and circumstances of that site was not favourable to the application.
The Council has been sympathetic to the need for winter quarters
as evidenced by the two permissions on sites which would not normally
have been considered appropriate for any form of residential development.
I attach to this letter an extract from the
Deposit South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 1999 as proposed to be
amended concerning gypsies and travelling show people. Also attached
are the three representations that were received at the Deposit
stage. None of them are from the "travelling community".[11]
The Council is always willing to assist in finding
permanent sites although it is unlikely to own land for that purpose.
As far as I am aware there has been no need to consider requisition
of land for show people's sites. If the situation arose the matter
would have to be considered in the usual way.
David Hussell
Planning Director
March 2000
11 Ev. not printed. For further information please
contact South Cambridgeshire District Council. Back
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