Battle businessman offers land for gypsy site

A businessman has offered part of his land to Rother District Council to use as a potential new gypsy site.

Peter Bull, who owns the Wylands International Angling Centre in Powdermill Lane, Catsfield, says that the 50 acres of land, which includes woodland and wetlands, would be suitable for travellers.

Mr Bull has been at Wylands, one of the largest fisheries in the country, for more than five years and has run caravan sites all over the country.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: "I have got various caravanning and tourist experience and I have dealt with travellers over the years and if you treat them right, they treat you right.

"I believe you have got to give them a chance.

"A lot of them are hardworking people and they just want somewhere to put their families in secure locations where the council are not constantly kicking them out."

Mr Bull wrote to the council after reading an article in the Observer last month about the lack of travellers' sites in the district.

Gypsy Linda Smith was granted a two-and-a-half year extension to remain on land at Powdermill Lane after she risked being ejected by Rother, following a series of planning breaches.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Planning Inspectorate granted Linda the extra time to allow the local authority time to find a new travellers' site.

Mr Bull, who does not know Linda personally, said: "I live in Powdermill Lane.

"Although I do not agree it's the right place for her, I agree they should have somewhere in Rother to put her."

Currently the only authorised site is in Fair Lane in Robertsbridge, which is overcrowded and has a waiting list.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Bull has not yet received a response from Rother District Council.

He said: "As it's not seen from the road, it's a possibility some of the area could be used to accommodate them.

"Whether the offer is taken up or not, it indicates if the council gets off their backsides and has a look round, I'm sure they could find a suitable site for them."

Rother District Council's head of planning, Tim Hickling, said: "Rother DC is awaiting the outcome of the South East Plan Examination in Public on the district's required provision of gypsy and traveller sites up to 2026.

"This will determine the number of permanent pitches that will need to be identified through public consultation and the site allocations document in the coming year."

Related topics: