Council delays traveller decision

Council bosses will not approve plans to legally extend a travellers' site in South Staffordshire until more information has been collected, it emerged last night.

Members of South Staffordshire Council's regulatory committee deferred a decision about the proposed extension to Kingswood Colliery Travelling Showpeople's Site, in Watling Street, Great Wyrley, when they met last night.

Since 2000, when a Certificate of Lawfulness of Existing Use was granted for the central part of the site, it has been occupied by up to 14 caravans.

Last year the residents began to extend the site out onto Green Belt land – which is usually protected from development – and they have now applied for planning permission to complete this extension legally.

The plans would see the travellers install 14 concrete beds for caravans instead of the existing soil they stand upon. This is the same number of plots which are allowed at present but would enable the site to be visually improved and spread out.

Councillors asked for their decision to be put back until further information has been gathered about potential flooding of the site and regulations governing Green Belt development.