A battle is looming over mobile homes and caravans stationed on fields in a West Sussex village.

Horsham District Council says that the mobile homes and touring caravans ‘for residential use’ have been installed on land off Stall House Lane in North Heath near Pulborough without planning permission.

The council has issued an enforcement notice because of the unauthorised change of use of the land. It maintains that the spread of development across the site spoils the countryside location, affects a nearby public footpath and would harm the setting of a nearby ‘listed’ building.

However, an appeal has now been lodged against the council’s stance and a planning hearing is to be held in Horsham on June 10 to finally determine the matter.