A traveller family facing council enforcement action after caravans were moved onto a field without planning permission have said they will appeal against the decision. The family are also seeking retrospective permission to stay on a section of the field off Stallington Road, Blythe Bridge, where fencing and hardcore has been installed.
Caravans were also moved onto the site and Stafford Borough Council received numerous complaints about the activity, which took place in early December. Local councillor Alec Sandiford said last month that the activity had been “stressful” and “worrying” for nearby residents.
Stafford Borough Council issued a Temporary Stop Notice last month in a bid to prevent further residential use of the site, as well as more work or development. But a council report stated that further work appeared to have been carried out since the notice was issued, and more caravans had been moved onto the land.
The report added: “The site owner advised that all five of the caravans and the motorhome were occupied. A District Judge granted an interim injunction, which was served on 23 and 24 December 2024.
“The interim injunction orders that it is forbidden to carry out any further development of the land, and storing or parking any additional caravans, facilities, plant or machinery on the land. It also forbids the storing or parking of any commercial vehicles on the land. Since the service of the Injunction, numerous breaches have been reported to the council.”
On Monday (January 20) the authority’s planning committee agreed to serve an Enforcement Notice “to remove the unauthorised use and any associated operational development including any hardcore or other materials imported on to the site.” The committee also granted authority to take steps including court action if necessary.”
Councillor Sandiford attended Monday’s meeting, but did not take part in the committee’s proceedings. Two members of the traveller family were also present and said afterwards that they planned to appeal against the committee’s decision.
They are hoping to secure permission for four pitches for family groups to remain on the site, so that their children can continue attending local schools and they can access health services. They said that if they were removed from the site and had to live on the roadside, they could face action under new police enforcement powers aimed at tackling unauthorised encampments.
They said: “The council doesn’t have any spaces for us – where are they going to put four families including 13 kids? If the council spent money the government gave them five years ago and built 50 or 60 pitches, I don’t think our family or others in the travelling community would be doing what we are doing.
“There is a new power, a Section 60C notice, which means police can move gypsies and travellers off the side of the road. So the council would be forcing us to go to illegal camping.
“We have been in the Staffordshire area for four years. We had another site in the Uttoxeter area, but we were forced to leave. It’s caused a lot of stress.”
Councillors heard on Monday that the authority had received a planning application for the site. But it was currently invalid, so the council was unable to consult or consider the application at this moment in time, and it had not been placed in the public domain.
The land is located in the Green Belt. The planning committee report said: “The unauthorised development and use of the site is inappropriate development which, by definition, is harmful to the Green Belt.
“Substantial weight is given to any harm to the Green Belt and it is expedient to take enforcement action to remove that harm. Having had due regard to the special characteristics of the traveller community, it is considered that it is expedient to issue an enforcement notice and furthermore it is a proportionate response in light of the planning harm caused.”
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