ANGRY villagers shouted and shook their fists as plans for two Travellers’ sites in Helsby and Dunham-on-the-Hill were approved by Council Planners

For the past five years the Travellers’ site on Towers Lane has incited anger among Alvanley and Helsby residents.

Despite cries for the caravans to be moved off the green belt site the Travellers are set to remain for another two years after councillors approved a second temporary planning permission.

On Tuesday Cheshire West and Chester Councillors faced a furious backlash from residents as plans for a brand new Travellers’ site were approved in a field just two miles down the road.

More than 40 residents from Dunham-on-the-Hill waved their fists and shouted ‘rubbish’ and ‘there is going to be trouble’ before storming out as the plans for the site in Hillcrest, Chester Road were temporarily approved.

Despite almost 100 objections from residents, disapproval from the parish council and an injunction preventing caravans on the greenbelt land, members of the CWaC planning committee granted the two-year application.

MP for Weaver Vale Graham Evans slated the decision.

He said: “I am deeply disappointed by this ridiculous decision. Thanks to the votes of out-of-touch Labour councillors, the travellers site on Towers Lane has been granted yet another two-year temporary extension. They clearly don’t give two hoots what local residents think.

“This illegal site was built without planning permission on a beautiful bit of Green Belt land.

“The new planning guidance issued by the coalition Government has made it much easier for councils to take tough enforcement action in these cases. This should have been an easy decision.

“The situation has been dragging on for years and last night residents wanted to see this sorted out once and for all. Instead, they saw a bunch of spineless Labour councillors vote to delay enforcement yet again.”

Cllr Lynn Riley said that the Tower’s Lane saga had been a long battle, saying that the new site added to the high concentration of Travelling communities in the area.

“We are looking at seven or eight sites within a very small area, because these consistencies lie on the Gypsy and Travellers route.

“The Travellers will have the right to apply for another application in two years, however if we offer them an alternative site and they refuse to move then the council will take enforcement action.”

Eleanor Johnson, councillor for Gowy ward, said that the Dunham-On-The-Hill decision would have a detrimental impact on the Green Belt land, saying: “We have nothing against the Travellers.

“All that anyone wants is for the impact on the green belt to be dealt with on an even playing field.”

The original recommendation was for a three-year temporary application, which would give CWaC officers time to identify a suitable alternative sites, but this was argued down to two years.

Alvanley Parish Clerk Derek Bowker said: “We would have liked to have seen the permission refused all together, but in the present circumstances this result was the best we could have expected.

“Action must be taken for something to be done by the council to resolve this ongoing situation.”

Twenty representations were made in favour of the Dunham-on-the-Hill application. In both cases the Travellers say there are no other pitches available and that they are entitled to stay and settle in the community.