Former recycling centre to become travellers base
The site of a former recycling centre is to be re-purposed as the permanent base of a family of travelling show people.
Since 2015 the Stokes family has occupied the grounds of the former Ifton Heath Primary School in St Martins, while a suitable permanent base was found.
Shropshire Council has now earmarked the former recycling site on the Maesbury Road Industrial Estate in Oswestry for the family, and applied for change of use to allow them to relocate there.
It will be discussed by members of the North Planning Committee next Wednesday.
A report by planning officer Mark Perry says: “The family require a mixed use residential and business base to both live on and to store and maintain their fairground equipment.”
The report highlights the need for the site to be well connected to the highways network and to offer a large open space to accommodate vehicles and equipment.
His report adds: “The nature of the equipment and size and type of vehicles used by the travelling show people would constitute an inappropriate use in an area that is predominantly residential.”
Mr Perry says the site is suitable as it is already allocated employment land, currently vacant, and has a hard surface and boundary fencing due to its previous uses.
There were 15 objections from members of the public to the application, raising concerns over the number of vehicle movements and saying the site was not appropriate for residential use.
Mr Perry recommends the planning committee approves the change of use.
His report concludes: “The site is close to the proposed services and facilities in Oswestry.
“The scale of the development is considered to be acceptable and would not result in any harm to the character of the area.
“It has been adequately demonstrated that the existing operations of the surrounding premises would not detrimentally impact upon the living conditions of those occupying the application site.
“The unmet need for a site for travelling show people within Shropshire also needs to be given weight in the determination of this application.
“It is officers’ opinion that there is no harm resulting from the use of the application site for the single family, the application is therefore recommended for approval.”
