Four more pitches at Holbeach traveller site

Four more pitches will be added to a Traveller site in Holbeach - after residents asked for extra space to welcome family members.

South Holland District Council’s planning committee passed plans for the extra pitches at the site in Rose View Drive, off the A151, at its meeting last Thursday.

Each plot - to the west of the current ten - will contain room for one ‘mobile home/chalet’ and three touring caravans - and members were told that the space is needed for family members of an existing resident who is getting married.

An ‘amenity’ building is also being added to the site.

Several members raised questions about the sewerage plans for the site - and asked for conditions to be applied to ensure the proposed treatment plant was suitable.

Coun Peter Coupland said that he was concerned that the facility was a ‘family specific site’ and closed to newcomers.

Coun James Avery, the committee chairman, replied: “So what?”

Coun Bryan Alcock questioned the addition of a chalet and felt the definition of that could cover a broad range of possible structures.

He said: “There seems no end to what’s allowed to be put into sites of this nature.”

Coun Christine Lawton praised the site for being tidy and said it was probably ‘ruled with iron’ by one family.

Coun Roger Gambba-Jones reminded members that the site was a ‘swap’ with land in Cranmore Lane and that the authority had been glad to see the back of something that was a ‘running sore’.

Couns Peter Coupland, Allan Beal and Henry Bingham all abstained on the plans, while the other 11 members voted in favour.