‘They’re scared of being called bigots’

‘Rightly or wrongly, many people have been reluctant to publicly express their views for fear of causing offence’

People living near a travellers’ site fear being called a bigot if they speak out against its illegal expansion, a councillor believes. The owners of Moate Farm in Fordwich secured permission two years ago to increase the number of caravans on the land from six to 20.

But council inspectors discovered almost three times this number when they visited in the summer, with 57 motorhomes on the site.

Its owners have now been forced to apply retrospectively for planning permission, attracting little objection from individual neighbours.

But Cllr Dave Wilson, who represents an adjoining ward, says the number of complaints does not reflect the “significant concern among local residents”. “Rightly or wrongly, many people have been reluctant to publicly express their views for fear of causing offence,” he said. “They’re nervous about their comments being misinterpreted and don’t want to run the risk of being labelled a bigot. “There isn’t a problem with the community on that site, and I don’t people want to imply

A Google Earth image showing Moate Farm in 2017 there is. You will see that while the local authority’s say-so and there are objections from Fordtherefore with nothing to ensure wich Town Council, Friends of the landowners provided these Fordwich and District, and the services. Littlebourne and Stodmarsh Residents have also told Cllr Road Community Association, Wilson that there have been there are few direct representaabout 20 power outages in the tions from residents - two at the area over the last two months. time of writing this comment.” Papers submitted to the city Cllr Wilson believes the site council by the landowner attribis not equipped with the necesute the unauthorised use of the sary sewage and power infrasite to a dearth of gypsy and structure to support the added traveller camps across the dishomes. trict.

He says this is because the But Cllr Wilson argued: “If encampment expanded without there is need for more pitches,

Cllr Dave Wilson says there are concerns which is claimed but not demona bid to increase the capacity of strated in the application, it Moate Farm from six to 20 caraought to be accommodated at vans but was later overruled by more suitable locations elsea government planning inspecwhere in the district. tor who cited the district’s lack “This location already causes of traveller provision as the a visual blight to the surroundmain reason for his verdict. ing farm landscape and views The landowners have, howacross the Stour Valley because ever, gone well beyond the conof the scale and prominence of ditions of their planning consent the site itself.” in expanding to almost 60 motorA report published by the city homes. council in 2018 concluded that it In documents submitted in needed to create 11 new pitches their application, they say: across the district by 2022. “This is a matter resulting in The authority initially rejected extended family and members of the travelling community, who are known to the existing occupants of the site, doubling up for extended periods of time and seeking a settled base for them and their families. “There is a substantial need for more sites within the district that the council are unable to deliver.

“The proposed total number of static caravans, being 57, would not dominate the nearest settled population, nor would such an increase result in an unacceptable impact on the surrounding area.”

The application will be considered by the council’s planning committee at a future date. Should the bid fail, the council could take enforcement action to remove the additional caravans from the site.