Council opposes travellers' site

The travellers are seeking permission for up to 25 pitches at Marley Head

Planning permission to legalise an travellers' site in south Devon should be rejected, a parish council has recommended.

A group of travellers moved onto the site, near the A38 at Marley Head in South Brent, in January 2007.

They are seeking permission from Dartmoor National Park for up to 25 pitches, with space for up to 50 cars.

But at a meeting on Monday night South Brent Parish Council recommended the application be turned down.

'Valuable' land

The council said the development was "inappropriate" given its proximity to the village and would have a "detrimental" visual impact on the rural location.

It said granting planning permission would also lead to the loss of "valuable employment land".

A council statement said: "The Parish Council is sympathetic towards homelessness and housing need.

"It is instrumental in supporting both Dartmoor National Park Authority and South Hams District Council in identifying much more suitable sites for affordable housing need, and has already commissioned its own survey."

The government has told local authorities in Devon they will have to provide 343 permanent traveller sites and 138 transit sites by 2011.