MORE than 200 people attended the first public meeting of a new community group, set up to fight plans for more than a dozen travellers’ pitches at an ‘unsuitable’ site between Cirencester and Fairford.

Sunhill and Meysey Hampton (SAM) Community Group, organised the meeting at Meysey Hampton Village Hall on Tuesday evening, where almost all visitors had turned up to protest against the application.

They said they were not “anti-traveller” but “anti-inappropriate use” for the proposed site near Welsh Way, according to group spokesman Ashish Singh, who lives closest to the spot in question – currently a mushroom compost facility.

“I am very happy for something suitable at that site,” said Mr Singh, speaking at the meeting. “Something industrial, for example. But I would be as opposed to a multi-storey shopping centre as I am to a traveller site. We are not anti-traveller at all. We are objecting to the application.”

The controversial plan to transform the compost facility into 15 traveller pitches, each with space for an amenity building, touring caravan and mobile home, was submitted to Cotswold District Council (CDC) by Cotswold Compost Company Ltd (CCC) with the help of agent Bruton Knowles.

Both the applicant and agent declined to attend the meeting, according to Cllr David Fowles, CDC ward member for Meysey Hampton, who was in attendance, though reportedly the applicant has agreed to a meeting with the group’s representatives to discuss their concerns.

Cllr Fowles, also a CDC planning committee member, assured residents that any CDC decision on the site is still “a long way off.”

In a report submitted to CDC on behalf of the applicant, it said the application followed advice from planning officers in autumn 2015.

“From reviewing the Gloucestershire gypsy traveller accommodation assessment, it appears there is an unmet need for traveller accommodation between 2022 to 2031 for 15 pitches,” the report said.

"Therefore 15 pitches are proposed and the applicant would accept a phased approach to development above five units if necessary.”

However, Cllr Fowles said: “At this moment in time the [case] officer has not made a recommendation to anybody, he’s made himself very available and is trying to acquire as much information and that’s why tonight’s very important,” he said.

Cllr Fowles admitted that while certain planning officers felt that it might be an “appropriate site” for traveller pitches, planning committee members “reserve the right to make the decision.”

Concerns raised by speakers included those surrounding the isolated nature of the site, meaning it would be difficult for travellers to integrate properly into the community, a specification in the government’s National Plan for any such site, according to Aaron Smith, a former planning officer advising the group.

Other potential problems raised included the increase in traffic and road danger, along with the extra strain such a large population increase could have on the local health services, as well as the difficulties in ‘controlling and conditioning’ the site due to limited access.

Residents can make comments on the application up to April 14 by visiting the CDC planning portal and using reference code 16/00906/FUL.