A retrospective application to turn green belt land at Burtonwood into a gypsy and traveller residential site has been submitted to Warrington Borough Council.
There was uproar locally last May when works started over a Bank Holiday weekend when the borough council was asked to investigate a possible breach of planning.
Now plans have been submitted retrospectively for change of use of the land for Gypsy and Traveller residential site with associated landscaping and the installation of a farm gate (1.2m x 3.6m) to footpath (route no.34) at corner of Tan House Lane/ Farmers Lane, Burtonwood.
The application by John Varey is for land associated with Tan House Farm, Warrington, WA5 4BY.
The site entrance
In a supporting statement the applicant states:”Many Councils indicate on their websites that they will not promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age, nor promote offensive, inflammatory, discriminatory, violent, threatening or libellous comments.
“We expect Councils to follow their legal duty, not least with reference to Gypsy and Traveller planning applications which, more than others, are vulnerable to defamatory and discriminatory representations.
“We are making this point at the stage of submitting this application because our experience has been, that in some cases Councils have displayed unacceptable representations on their websites without filtering them out.
“We expect the Council to carry out its legal duties and to filter out or redact such material, and if in doubt not to publish.”
The supportig statement goes on to say: “The application is accompanied by a confidential statement which outlines the pressing personal circumstances of the families which we propose to submit to the appointed case officer following validation of the application.
The site is in the Green Belt, however, the land represents ‘grey belt’, and on that basis the development is not necessarily inappropriate within the Green Belt.
The application is accompanied by a proposed landscaping scheme, a Preliminary Ecological Survey which will follow submission and a Biodiversity Net Gain Baseline survey which will recommend 10% on site Biodiversity Net Gain mitigation. The planting suggested will also provide significant visualscreening from Tan House Lane and Farmers Lane.”
There is no available planning history for the site prior to the submission of this application. Google Earth’s historical timeline shows that the land has been relatively unchanged for over 20 years (from the earliest available aerial photos). The land has been farmed and was originally connected to the adjacent field to the east before being separated and used for horse grazing.
The residential pitches will provide:
● Pitch 1 will accommodate 2 mobile homes, 2 touring caravans and a welfare unit
● Pitch 2 will accommodate 3 mobile homes, 2 touring caravans and a welfare unit
● Pitch 3 will accommodate, 2 mobile homes, 2 touring caravan and a welfare unit
● Pitch 4 will accommodate 1 mobile home, 2 touring caravans and a welfare unit
4.3 The welfare units are portable cabins, 2.5 metres long x 1.25 metres wide. They are 2 metres in height and contain a toilet and a shower. They would be connected to the proposed package treatment works shown on the proposed site plan.
Significant screening and planting is proposed in order to achieve an onsite 10% Biodiversity Net Gain as well as to ensure the site’s impact on the landscape is limited. The whole of the northern boundary of the site has an established native hedgerow with trees which continues a little around the north eastern corner of the site. We propose infilling along the full extent of the hedgerow with suitable native hedge plants in order to strengthen the hedge and ensure its longevity.
The proposed occupants are Romani Gypsies. All the proposed occupants grew up in nomadic families and have continued to follow that way of life. The families travel in caravans for work and to attend fairs. This means that the families are Gypsies and Travellers for planning purposes in accordance with the definition in the Annex to Planning Policy for Traveller Sites as updated in
December 2024. More detailed information regarding the families’ individual Traveller status will be provided in the confidential supporting statement.
The now out of date Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation and Needs Assessment (GTANA), published in August 2018 estimates a need for 14 pitches in Warrington and an extra 5 who do not meet the definition. Following the December 2024 change in the definition of who constitutes a Gypsy & Traveller for planning purposes in Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPfTS), it is near certain that those additional 5 pitches should be considered as counting towards the estimated need. This means there is a need for 19 pitches.
The supporting statement goes on to say: “If the Council are unable to provide allocated pitches, in accordance with policy DEV3 proposals submitted through planning applications must be favourably considered when they are submitted given the identified need for the provision of transit and permanent pitches.
“The Council has also put out a ‘Call for Sites’ which implies there is further need for pitches. The proposed application site would provide 4 much needed pitches, positively contributing to Warrington Borough Council’s duty, mandated in PPfTS to provide adequate culturally appropriate accommodation for the Gypsy and Traveller community.
“We would also argue that a number of deficiencies in the 2018 GTANA mean the real level of need is likely to be significantly higher. In any case, it is now eight years since the field work that underpinned the 2018 GTANA was carried out in 2017, and the study is substantially out of date.
“The December 2024 change to the definition, which now includes anyone with a cultural tradition of living in a caravan, is likely to result in a substantial increase in the level of need.
“As shown in the confidential statement, none of the families currently have a fixed address and are living roadside or ‘doubled up’ in overcrowded accommodation. Homelessness is endemic among the Gypsy & Traveller community and this is in large part due to a lack of stopping places or provision by Councils which in turn has negative consequences for the general health ofthe Gypsy and Traveller Community.”
A full copy of the supporting statement can be read HERE.
Local cllrs Kevin Burgess and Stuart Mann took to social media stating; “Please be aware that the retrospective planning application for the recent development on Farmers Lane in Burtonwood has now been published on the WBC Planning Portal. It’s specific application number is 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓/𝟎𝟎𝟔𝟗𝟑/𝐅𝐔𝐋
“To locate it CLICK HERE
“If you would like to submit a representation on this application you have until the of 11th AUGUST to do this.
“Representations can be made online via the portal or in writing in person to the WBC offices in Times Square.
“If anyone requires any assistance whatsoever in submitting their representation please contact cllrkevin.burgess@warrington.gov.uk or cllrstuart.mann@warrington.gov.uk“
