Planning panel nearly split down the middle over controversial travellers' site in Low Lane, Queensbury

A tense meeting saw the Bradford Planning Panel almost split down the middle when they voted on the matter, deciding by a whisker to go against their officers’ recommendation and refuse the retrospective plan.

Now traveller Samantha Freeman, who had told councillors that her family “just want a place to call home”, will have to either move away and put the land back how it was or lodge an appeal with the Government.

The site, in Low Lane, Queensbury, features a static caravan and a touring caravan behind high gates. The retrospective application had sparked a major outcry, with more than 200 objections but also a handful of supportive comments.

The meeting heard the family living on the site had six children.

Planning officers had recommended granting them temporary permission to stay for four years only.

They said the development of the Green Belt was unacceptable, but they also had to weigh up the children’s right to a stable upbringing and school life.

They said a shortage of space at the district’s official travellers’ sites was not due to be rectified for another four years, and had recommended that the family get temporary permission to stay for this period only.

Ms Freeman told the panel her family had bought the site in May last year and she had moved onto it in August last year.

She said she wanted her children to use the Low Lane site as a base, “as well as having a traveller life”.

“Being a mother, I want them to have an education and want them to fit in with the local community,” she said.

Ms Freeman said she thought the reaction to her planning application had got “out of hand”.

She said people had put up posters with “luminous yellow writing” saying how to object.

She said: “I didn’t retaliate. I thought, ‘Everyone’s got the right to say how they feel’.”

“It was awful. It was atrocious, the way that people were judging me and my children and talking about us, when they didn’t even know us.”

When asked what her plans would be once a four-year permission expired, she said: “To be honest, I don’t know. I would like to stay where I am.”

Objector Glen Powell, who lived nearby, said he wanted to distance himself from some of the written comments from other objectors, which he called “xenophobic”.

He said his main concern was the inappropriate development in the Green Belt, describing the site’s new, high gate, fence and CCTV cameras as giving “the impression of a fortress”.

He said he also believed that Ms Freeman had previously lived in a house, which suggested to him there were other ways for the children to get a stable education.

Ms Freeman confirmed she had lived in a house in the past, but said this was “three years ago and I wasn’t there very long”.

The panel was given legal advice that people could still be classed as gypsies and travellers if they had lived in houses, provided they still intended to live a nomadic lifestyle.

All three Queensbury ward councillors had objected to the plan.

Councillor Lynda Cromie (Ind, Queensbury) spoke at the meeting, saying the family should have been “moved off when they arrived”.

She said: “I think it’s Bradford Council who are wrong for letting these people think they might be able to stay there this long.”

Panel chairman, Councillor Shabir Hussain (Lab, Manningham) said in his 12 years on planning panels, he had never known a case like this.

He said the high fence at the front of the site looked “absolutely awful”.

Panel member Councillor Michael Stelling (Lib Dem, Bolton and Undercliffe), said: “Even though I like to support the travellers’ community, in this case I can’t because that is completely inappropriate.”

Cllr Hussain suggested the family be given three, rather than four, years to remain on the site, but this suggestion was defeated four-to-three when it was taken to the vote.

The panel then voted four-to-three to refuse the plan outright.

Cllr Hussain said Ms Freeman was entitled to appeal the decision if she wanted to. She declined to speak to the Telegraph & Argus after the meeting.