More than 200,000 people arrive for the show each year

Powys Council's plan to set up the site as it has done in the past at Ysgiog Farm, near Builth Wells, has been turned down by one of its own planning committees.

Brecknockshire planning committee has refused to allow the application for the temporary camp in a field three miles outside the town.

The committee refused the application on the grounds that the site would "impact unnecessarily" on the River Wye, a site of special conservation.

The council objected to the site because these people don't respect other people's property Pauline Bevan, Duhonw council clerk

But the Gypsy Council claims the local authority would have broken the law if it had succeeded in setting up a special site.

It wants travellers to be able to use caravan sites for other visitors to the show, the premier event in Wales's rural calendar, which opens at Llanelwedd on 21 July.

The county council had planned to use land at Ysgiog Farm because it was big enough to cater for the 50 or more caravans brought by gypsies to the show each year.

"I opposed the application because it didn't comply with planning regulations and the site borders on the River Wye which the gypsies have used to cross in the past," said Councillor Stephen Davies, who represents Erwood near the site.

Designated

Builth Wells' county councillor, Ed Sweet, who supported the application, said there had been an official site set up for gypsies at Ysgiog until 1999.

However, since then the River Wye has been made a site of special conservation.

"Consequently, there has been no official designated site since the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

"The gypsies claim they are holding their own cultural event and like to be together so it made sense to have them all on one site," he said.

It is no good saying that certain people create trouble because I am sure that even some Welsh people cause trouble at the Royal Welsh Gypsy chairman Charles Smith

The site application received an objection from Duhonw Community Council, which claimed that in previous years people nearby had experienced harassment from gypsy children.

"The council objected to the site because these people don't respect other people's property," said Pauline Bevan, Duhonw council's clerk.

However. Charles Smith, chairman of the Gypsy Council, said that providing a separate site for gypsies would have been against the law.

"The council shouldn't be discriminating against an ethnic group such as ours," he said.

"If there is a caravan site at the Royal Welsh Show then it should be open for everyone.

He also rejected allegations that the visiting gypsies were troublemakers.

"It is no good saying that certain people create trouble because I am sure that even some Welsh people cause trouble at the Royal Welsh."

After rejecting the council's application for a 14-day site at riverside land at Ysgiog, members of the Brecknockshire committee wanted the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show to organise arrangements for gypsies in future.

No one from the Royal Welsh Show was available for comment on Monday.