Residents have objected to a retrospective planning application for a Gypsy and Traveller site near Felmersham, citing concerns over highway safety, rural impact, and fairness in the planning process.
One objector said approving the application would “set a concerning precedent that undermines the plan-led system”.
Bedford Borough Council has received an application for change of use of agricultural land to a Gypsy and Traveller site on land east side of Pavenham Road, Felmersham.
If approved, the site will contain five residential pitches (a total of 11 mobile homes and four touring caravans), parking, associated groundworks, infrastructure and landscaping.
One objection on the council’s planning portal said the site is located in open countryside and would represent a “significant and intrusive change” to the rural landscape.
It added the visual impact would be “stark and detrimental” to the character of the area, especially given the “prominent” roadside location.
The applicants said views of the site “are limited” even in the winter months due to the land being situated at a lower level than the highway and as a “result of the dense tree belt coverage to the west.”
They admitted that there “would be some harm” to the character of the open countryside, but such harm is considered to be of limited weight given the low level height of the mobile homes.
And they added that there would be no harm to highway safety as visibility is “considered good”. The application claimed it “would not be possible” for the families to be accommodated together on a local authority site.
A private site would mean they would be able to benefit from the support of one another and be able to live a “settled life”.
The applicants said the proposed occupants identify as Gypsy and Travellers and therefore the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998 (Article 8 and Article 2) apply.
More information can be found on the council’s planning portal, reference 25/00790/M73A.
The overall consultation expiry date is Thursday, 15 May 2025.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
