brentwood.gov.uk

COMMENT FORM

DM28 Gypsy & Traveller Provision
* There are five sites approximately 750 meters next to one another, i.e. Epping Forest, Brentwood, Havering District Council.
* We are hearing constant stories of people encroaching other peoples property in this vicinity more than before
* We are very disturbed by the documentation we have acquired i.e. BBC Annual Monitoring Report 2011/12 page 30 article 5.59
* At a meeting with Brentwood Council on Tuesday September 10th at Navestock Village Hall there seemed great confusion between how many 'Pitches' are on the site, or how many there are supposed to be.
* Also the suggested pitches of 44 "FORTY FOUR". We have confirmation there are 96 "NINETY SIX" pitches at the BBC count in July 2012. RE. BBC Report 2011/12 page 28 Table 9 Article 5.53/
* Just for your records we will enclose our amended letter.
* We are not against Gypsies and Travellers living in our community or next to us, but they should be 'evenly' placed within the Council Districts with the settled community taken into consideration.

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LETTER

Dear Sir/Madam

This is the 13th planning application since July 2005. We have replied to every application except one. Our reasons being at the time of personal nature with the applicants buyers/sellers at the time.

With reference to our letter to you dated 14th August 2007 nothing has changed, with more Gypsy families arriving and putting us in a surrounded situation. Regarding your letter ALU/ENF/BRW59/2007 and the 2015 - 2030 Gypsy and Traveller Provision, we still feel you show no concern that we are still surrounded by these families due to the fact that none of them have moved, and more are moving in.

We feel the reason (We have been to numerous appeals) they are allowed to stay here is because they want somewhere to settle with their families. Their children need schooling and they want somewhere to settle with their families. Their children need schooling and they need better and stable lifestyle, perhaps this is the reason why they don't want to travel anymore!

This is a big problem to us because it has devalued our house which means we could not sell, according to two estate agents, therefore forcing us to panic buy more land adjacent to ours, which we are continuing to do to stop us being completely surrounded.

Over the last 7 years trying to better our lifestyle, we have had three planning applications turned down. The first being houses for our four sons. The second being a swimming pool/gym for our families personal use. The third being a set of bungalows/starter homes for our four sons, all of these being refused. We feel we are being victomised due to us living a normal life in a house. We have taken legal advice which due to financial reasons i.e. we have run out of money due to buying all the surrounding land around us. We have had to put this on hold!

Each refusal letter states very special circumstances and words like detrimental to the countryside. Again, we suggest you come here and look to see what has happened over the last 13 and a half years. We are still in consultation with our property lawyers, of how to take this/these matters and make it into our advantage