Residents living near a traveller site fear a “Dale Farm situation” if planning permission is granted for six static homes.
The McCarthy family set up the unauthorised site in Janda Fields, off Fane Road, Thundersley, in August 2012 and then applied to Castle Point Council for retrospective planning permission for two caravans.
Permission was eventually granted but the family has now applied for further retrospective planning permission to remove one caravan and install six static homes on the site.
That was just to get their foot in the door.
Bill Dick, councillor for St Peter’s ward, said he would oppose any further development.
He said: “We are going to end up like Basildon if we are not careful. If it’s retrospective then they have got to a certain point without planning permission which is not really nice.
“I think we have been fairly decent to them.”
And
that was your first mistake.
Clown council official versus organised crime....no contest.
ReplyDeleteAll the small towns and villages around Tunbridge Wells are going to end up like Basildon if they get their way.
ReplyDeleteThey'll all eventually join up with concrete urban sprawl, and one day in about forty years, someone will say, 'Whatever happened to Disgusted'.
Actually reading the comments on the surprisingly fair piece (shurely shome mishtake?) It sounds a lot like the travellers concerned are making a go of 'settling down' and the council and the Nimbies are still wound licking from losing the case last time around.
ReplyDeleteHow often does one read comments like 'they (the travellers) have been no bother' ?
Of course they've been no bother - yet! Keeping a low profile while being the thin end of the wedge is par for the course.
ReplyDelete"Clown council official versus organised crime....no contest."
ReplyDeleteBut they pay big bucks to recruite the best & brightest!
"All the small towns and villages around Tunbridge Wells are going to end up like Basildon if they get their way."
Yup, sadly...
"How often does one read comments like 'they (the travellers) have been no bother' ? "
What Ted Treen said. Remember the parable of the scorpion.