Travellers site planned for quiet village

A decision to open a travellers site on the edge of a quiet village have been put on hold until the new year.

An application has been submitted to build the site in Wellow, on land between Wellow Road and Newark Road.

The land is owned by William Calladine, who is hoping to build eight “short-term transit pitches” and a shower, laundry and toilet block on land at The Paddock for travellers moving around the area.

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The plans were put before Newark and Sherwood District Council’s planning committee, who conducted a site visit hours before the meeting took place.

The application has been deferred until the next meeting on January 5.

In a statement presented to the council on behalf of Mr Calladine, it states that the land is currently unused but he regularly has to clear the land off fly-tipped rubbish.

The land had been bought by his father in the 1980s and Mr Calladine lives on the site with his extended family.

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The statement also reads: “This will hopefully support Newark and Sherwood District Council to meet their needs for traveller sites.”

He said it could help relieve the number of travellers who simply stay on roadsides.

The application has been met opposition from Wellow Parish Council, who have written to the planning committee outlining their concerns.

In a letter, penned by clerk Karen Birks on behalf of the council, it states the need for additional travellers’ pitches is ‘unproven’, and raised concerns over the amount of extra traffic, given that a nearby housing development is already underway.

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They fear a potential strain on health services, how the development would be ‘inappropriate’ being so close to a conservation area, and how it could erode the gap between the nearby urban area and the rural village.