Travellers’ camp near Staffordshire Hoard field refused

From the Express and Star

Plans to build a Travellers’ camp in a field bordering the site of the Staffordshire Hoard discovery have been thrown out.

The Maughan family, who had wanted to live on the site, near Hammerwich, is appealing against the decision.

A verdict on plans for the land, which sits on the border of Burntwood and Brownhills, had been put back after it was found that the Travellers, who bought the plot at auction three years ago, had not included all of the land they owned on the planning application form.

Now, Lichfield District Council has ruled a camp would be inappropriate development on green belt land.

Before Christmas, the authority was forced to launch enforcement action when work was carried out to level the ground and re-seed it.

The application also upset residents and metal-detecting enthusiast Terry Herbert, whose efforts led to the discovery of the Anglo-Saxon hoard of gold and silver in 2009, because of its proximity to the historic find.

The plot was bought at auction by Terry Maughan. He and his family were previously based at the Fishpond Caravan Site in Featherstone but were thrown off the site, according to agents for the family.

They had applied to change the use of the land, on the south side of Watling Street, from agricultural to a site for six mobile homes on four plots with sceptic tanks and utility rooms.

The application was made by Mr Maughan on behalf of his estranged wife Bernadette Maughan and her sister Anne-Marie Maughan.

The family had failed to include all their land in the original application, due to have been heard in April, although the new information did not affect the decision.

Planning agent Alison Heine, representing the Maughans, said: “We are talking about a small family site with just four plots. Under government guidance, you can have up to 15 plots on a site, so this is relatively small.

“An appeal has already been lodged.”