Page 147 - Archive in reverse date order

And that in the case of the current Little Acre application Bexley considers that:-

- inappropriate development is alright if, in granting permission for a new Private Gypsy
Site to be established there, this is only for a temporary period, ie five years!

− its inability to provide a site elsewhere for Mr Button is a key factor (but see recent
government guidance below)

Note: That part of the Little Acre land now known as Little Haven has already been in
continual use as a private gypsy site for 10 years.

D. GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION THAT GREEN BELT LAND SHOULD BE
PROTECTED

3.1 In para 14 of the Department for Communities and Local Government's document
“Planning Policy for traveller sites” published in March 2012, the DCLG stated (under
Policy E Traveller sites in Green Belt) that “Inappropriate development is harmful to the
Green Belt and should not be approved, except in very special circumstances. Traveller sites
(temporary or permanent) in the Green Belt are inappropriate development”.

3.2 In para 23 (in Policy H Determining planning applications for traveller sites) this same
guidance also states that “Local planning authorities should strictly limit new traveller site
development...outside areas allocated in the development plan....”.

Bunkers Hill is not included in the places identified for traveller sites in Bexley's Core
Strategy, and its Policy CS11 Gypsy and Traveller accommodation (page 70) states that “the
site should comply with the requirements of other relevant policies, including policies that
seek to protect...designated areas such as metropolitan green belt from inappropriate
development...”.

3.3 On 6 October 2014 the DCLG updated its National Planning Policy Framework-
Planning Practice Guidance. Under the heading “In decision taking, can unmet need for
housing outweigh Green Belt Protection?” it stated that “Unmet housing need (including for
traveller sites) is unlikely to outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and other harm to
constitute the 'very special circumstances' justifying inappropriate development on a site
within the Green Belt”.

On the same day the Department for Communities and Local Government issued a press
release under the heading “Councils must protect our precious green belt land”.

This re-affirmed that “housing need – including for traveller sites- does not justify the harm
done to the green belt by inappropriate development”.

North Cray Residents Association
October 2014