Shifnal traveller family can stay on 'green belt' land after four-year battle for their home, inspector rules
A traveller family have been given permission to stay on their home pitch on the green belt after a four-year battle to settle in Shropshire.
A government planning inspector has told the family they can stay in Shifnal after all, after Shropshire Council gave them six months to vacate the site.
The privately owned traveller site at Tong Forge has been home to the Quinn family since late 2021.
In 2023 the family was given temporary permission to settle on the land while the council's Local Plan progressed, which would bring more clarity over planning policies regarding gypsy and traveller sites.
But in the years since, Shropshire Council's Local Plan was withdrawn after serious concerns were raised by Government inspectors. Work on a replacement isn't set to begin until January 2026.