Council wins planning appeals on Hemley Hill site

10 December 2010

Wycombe District Council has today (Friday 10 December) learned that it has won two planning appeals for land at Hemley Hill, near Saunderton.

In a letter received by the Council this morning, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has dismissed the appeals against an enforcement notice and a planning refusal for land at Hemley Hill. The announcement follows a public inquiry which was held over the summer by an independent planning inspector, which was then recovered for the Secretary of State's determination.

Commenting on the appeal decision, Cllr Jean Teesdale, Wycombe District Council's Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainability, said: "We are very pleased that the Secretary of State has upheld our decision to refuse the application and to issue an enforcement notice - it's not just a win for Wycombe District Council, it's a win for the local community and the local environment. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved - the people of Hemley Hill, local councillors and officers - for their patience and hard work in getting to where we are at today."

The appeals against decisions made by Wycombe District Council were in respect of:

A - an enforcement notice served by the Council on 2 September 2009 alleging a material change of use of the land to use as a gypsy and traveller caravan site and associated enabling development including the erection of fences and the laying of hard surfaces to facilitate that use; and requiring restoration of the land to its previous condition as a pasture land within six months; and

B - against a refusal by the Council to grant planning permission for a change of use to include the stationing of caravans for nine gypsy pitches with utility/day room buildings and hard standing ancillary to that use.

The Secretary of State's formal decision is to dismiss appeal A, refuse the planning application and uphold the enforcement notice varied to include the wording "Cease the use of the land as a gypsy and traveller caravan site", to delete the words "as pasture land" and to substitute "18 months" as the time frame for compliance of the enforcement notice. The 18 months starts from the date of the decision notice, which was issued on 9 December 2010. Appeal B was also dismissed.

The validity of the Secretary of State's decision could be challenged should an application be made on behalf of the appellant(s) to the High Court within the next six weeks.

View the decision notice and find out more information about the travellers' site - Hemley Hill.