A retrospective application has been submitted for a gypsy/traveller site near Gedney.
John McDonagh has applied to keep the four caravans on grass land south of Blazegate and west of Gedney Drain.
The site is less than half a mile from another such site, The Orchards.
That site had previously been refused by South Holland District Council on the grounds it was on land liable to flood, but the decision was overturned by the planning inspectorate on appeal.
Documents submitted with the new application, also accessed off Blazegate, claims that South Holland District ‘clearly does not have an up-to-date understanding of the accommodation needs of gypsies and travellers living in its area’ arguing current limitations on the number of sites in the district ‘likely unlawfully discriminate against those travellers whose status was unknown in 2016’.
The documents continue: “Gypsy sites are not unexpected features within the fens and, the inspector in The Orchards appeal considered that, in a flat landscape such as this, hedgerows would provide adequate screening and assimilate the caravan site into the rural landscape.
“There are no adverse impacts which would substantially outweigh the benefits and therefore planning permission should be granted without delay.”
