Page 141 - Archive in reverse date order

Date: 5 January 2015 at 22:40

Dear NCRA Member

We need your urgent help and assistance in protecting North Cray and Its precious Green Belt from
the establishment, and possible proliferation, of private gypsy sites.

You may remember that in our autumn Newsletter (and in subsequent postings) we alerted you to the
application for a private gypsy site at Little Acre Stud Farm, Bunkers Hill, North Cray. This application was
refused by the Planning Committee at their September meeting but the applicant immediately appealed to
the Planning Inspectorate (Bristol) and the Public Hearing is on Wednesday 14 January at Bexley’s Civic
Offices, 2 Watling Street, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 7AT starting at 10am.

The key issues and causes for concern are:

· Bexley's planning committee resolved in Sept 2014 that the proposal constituted inappropriate
development in the Green Belt, would harm the quality and character of Heritage Land, was contrary to the
National Planning Policy Framework, the Government's 'Planning policy for traveller sites', Bexley’s own
Core Strategy Policies CS01, CS11 and CS17 etc. Moreover it saw no very special circumstances to justify
approval.

· The Planning Inspectorate ruled in 2005 and again in 2009 that a Private Gypsy Site in Bunkers Hill
would be an inappropriate development with no very special circumstances.

· The applicant does not live at Little Acre Stud Farm (he is following his gypsy lifestyle elsewhere) nor
has he made any attempt over the last 10 years to seek an alternative site. Moreover, to muddy the waters
further, the applicant (Mr Button) has sold part of the original site (now called ‘Little Haven’) to another
‘traveller’, Ms Bothwell, who also has a separate application for a private gypsy site.

· The Inspectorate’s decision in granting temporary permission (one year in 2005 and five years in
2009) to allow time for Bexley to provide gypsy accommodation elsewhere has failed to be an acceptable
solution. Ten years on there are now two gypsy families living at Little Haven (once part of Little Acre).

· Local people do not want this kind of development in Bunkers Hill or anywhere else in North Cray,
which is an unspoiled rural location - one virtually unique in the London Borough of Bexley. Residents
want their Green Belt land protected from inappropriate development and this is supported by the
government.

· The approval of any application for a private gypsy site in North Cray’s beautiful Green Belt would set
a very dangerous precedent that would, undoubtedly, lead to a proliferation of similar applications (as in the
case of the similar application for the adjoining site at Little Haven) with potential for causing unimaginable
destruction to the local environment. There are a number of vulnerable sites in the immediate area some of
which, we are advised, are already owned by Romany families.

Further information is provided in the attached document.