COUNTY planners have this week approved the expansion of a travellers’ site near Ledbury.

Applicant Terry Smith wants to add five residential pitches, two utility blocks and a new access to Oakfield on Nash End Lane in Bosbury. This will bring the total of pitches on the site up to seven.

Some 16 villagers objected to the plans along with Bosbury and Coddington parish council.

Council chairman Patrick Whitehead told the planning committee the scheme would put local services under extreme pressure and called on them to reject it.

“There are no shops, the primary school is oversubscribed and the doctor’s surgery in Cradley is not accepting any new patients, “The location is in a country lane which is very narrow. Any additional movement of caravans or trucks will cause a problem.”

He also said that Bosbury had been accepting of travellers’ sites and pitches but that it now had more than its fair share.

“We have four travellers sites in Bosbury with 14 pitches”, he said.

Ruth Munns, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said officers were happy with the proposals and they were compliant with planning regulations.

Technical consultees raised no objections to the scheme.

“The site has been found to be sustainably located and is well screened and has been designed to a high standard,” she said.

“This site has already been identified by the council as part of the emerging travellers’ sites development plan document.

“A total of 30 additional pitches are required in the district by 2031.

“19 of these need to be provided by 2023.”

She called on the council to approve the scheme.

Councillor Bernard Hunt proposed approving plans and said it was an extension to an existing private travellers’ site which has not had any enforcement action taken against it.

“This type of application is always contentious, however given the unique circumstances of this particular application and its site, I am favourably disposed to support approval of it but with conditions.

Ward councillor Tony Johnson called for the scheme to be rejected But the plans were approved by five votes to two with three abstentions.