Planning Application: 22/05324/FUL - Land To Rear Of The Willows Caravan Park Marsh Lane Bishopstone Buckinghamshire HP17 8SN

The Parish Council has noted the many concerns that have been raised by Parishioners about the recent planning application for the Willows site. The Parish Council has objected to the application and consider that it is important that our Parishioners are aware of the background. The following is a summary on which our three local members of Buckinghamshire Council and the Council’s Planning Enforcement Officer have been given an opportunity to comment:

(i) An application has been made for planning permission to develop the Willows site despite this being contrary to the Local Development Plan - with details of the application appearing in the local press.

(ii) The application should be refused, not least (but not only) as it is contrary to policy DM26 1b as the site is within the restricted area around Marsh at Appendix E of the adopted Local Development Plan 2019 (see below).

(iii) The ‘Willows’ site has been renamed by the applicants as 'the willows caravan park’. This, together with the site being advertised as a business on google, with the advert including references from third parties, suggests an unauthorised change from residential use (about which Bucks Council has been informed).

(iv) The neighbouring Charlottes Farm, which is outside our parish but under common control with the Willows site, has ample provision for caravans and has been renting vans on the site as a commercial activity for some time with advertising though Airbnb, other small business adverts and the 'Buddhist Centre' operating from the site: there is accordingly no demand for additional sites in the locality, indeed there is significant local opposition.

(v) Development at the site has already taken place over the course of the last two years, in continuing breach of a High Court injunction obtained by a body of which Bucks Council is the legal successor. The Council is aware of the breach and has informed us that the Council is continuing to work on the matter in accordance with its policy, which is non-punitive: the Council does not seek punishment for breaches of planning control but works actively to negotiate resolutions to planning breaches and only where that fails will the Council take action if it is proportionate and appropriate to do so.

(vi) The site is adjacent to a Public Bridleway: Parish Councillors have received a number of complaints from parishioners that they are ‘appalled' at the damage that has been caused to the bridleway by the illegal activity at the site and have recommended that the bridleway be fenced off and protected: these concerns have been reported to Bucks Council, which has a legal duty to protect and to assert the rights of the public to use the bridleway.

(vii) Residents of the site have blocked the footpath that runs through the site and there have been several reports to Parish Councillors of hostility to local walkers and ramblers, which reports have been passed on to the Council.

(viii) The site includes contaminated land - the sources of the waste were investigated by the Council whichhas been working to gather evidence of the authorisation of importation of material and negotiating removal of the material with the owner. It is environmentally irresponsible to continue to allow, let alone to permit an increase in, residents on the site, especially for families with young children. Furthermore sewage/cess pit arrangements will increase the contaminated water that is already being allowed to leak into the ditches, water table and public watercourse that border the site.

(ix) Clive Harriss, a local member of Buckinghamshire Council, has submitted a neutral comment (i.e neither in favour or against) on the application to the effect that if the application is granted the issue should be referred to the planning committee in light of apparent (that is 'as far as one knows or sees'- so leaving the question open) inconsistency with the Local Development Plan.

(x) All enforcement action by the Council is now suspended pending the outcome of the planning application.

The Parish Council shares the grave concerns of parishioners that theplanning application may be granted despite the recent history of breaches of planning control at the Willows site and the clear breach of the Local Development Plan that such a grant would represent. Such an outcome would indicate that breaches of planning law in our parish are not only going unpunished but also being actively encouraged.

Appendix E. Areas where future development for Travellers is restricted

Figure 51 Area around Marsh where future development for travellers is restricted