THIS is the first look at the permanent residential development for gypsies and travellers, set to be built near St Asaph. 

An application for the plan - on the Green-gates East Farm site - has been lodged by Denbighshire County Council.

Proposals involve creating a permanent residential gypsy and traveller site with a maximum of six pitches on the Green-gates East site on Cwttir Lane, to serve an extended family already living within the county.

A Planning, Design and Access Statement said: "Gypsies and Travellers have historically followed a nomadic way of life, which has become increasingly difficult to maintain due to the lack of legal stopping places and changes to economic opportunities.

"Gypsy and Traveller families may also want a permanent base from which to travel for work or for social/traditional purposes. Other times, individual or families may choose to remain in one area because of personal circumstances such as the need for access to schools, health or they decide that a travelling lifestyle is no longer practical.

"Some Gypsies and Travellers now live in ‘bricks and mortar’ accommodation. Some have chosen to do this but many have found that there are no other options available to them due to the lack of authorised Gypsy and Traveller sites."

The development follows the existing pattern of residential properties and smallholdings arranged along Cwttir Lane.

The local authority ruled out Cwttir Lane and the area around St Asaph Business Park for a Gypsy and Traveller transit site.

Instead, it was agreed that proposed locations for the transit site should be considered as part of the Local Development Plan (LDP) process.

Cllr Mark Young, Cabinet Lead Member for Planning, Public Protection and Safer Communities said:

“This has been a long process and the proposals have already been through a rigorous pre-planning consultation and numerous scrutiny meetings internally. 

“We have also held drop-in sessions and the proposals have been the subject of significant debate locally and in the media.”

Cllr Peter Scott, mayor of St Asaph, said: "The city council continue to disagree with the way the site was allocated.

"We urge all residents to submit their views.

"People of St Asaph gave their views at the pre-consultation stage in a petition with over 4000 signatures and over 700 written objections. We will continue to fight this application on the grounds that the methodology to locate this site was flawed."

Submit views by searching planning application number 46/2019/0792 at www.denbighshire.gov.uk/planning