A DISPUTE over how much people living at a new Gypsy and Traveller site have to pay towards local infrastructure has led the parish council  to describe the situation as “totally unacceptable”.

The new site is on the land west of Hill Place, on the Bath Road, Woolhampton.

People living there last year applied for retrospective planning permission for two dayrooms, two mobile homes, and two touring caravans. 

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They were given permission — on the condition that a “visually intrusive” shed be removed by September 30, and the dayrooms finished by November 30. But this hasn’t happened.

So now Tammy Black, on behalf of those living there, is applying for permission from West Berkshire Council to extend the time limits on those conditions to August 30, 2020. 

This is because of a dispute about whether £6,000 must be paid to the council, according to Michael Butler, a principal planning officer. 

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Most new developments require builders to pay money towards the local council to help support infrastructure, like schools and roads. This is called a community infrastructure levy (CIL). 

Councillors on the eastern area planning committee will decide whether to grant permission at a public meeting on January 8. 

In a report to that meeting, Mr Butler said: “The reason behind the delay is apparently a dispute with the council as to whether the dayrooms fall within use class C3 (dwelling house) which would be liable to a CIL charge.

“The dayrooms are CIL liable. At the time of writing this report advice is being taken as to whether the mobile homes should also be CIL liable: it is known that council tax is being paid. The mobile units are plumbed in for drainage purposes.”

Woolhampton Parish Council is objecting to the application, because Ms Black did not object to the conditions during the original application. A representative from the parish said: “They should have been responded to in adequate time.”

Originally, Ms Black wanted permission to finish the dayrooms by August 2022. But Mr Butler said this was “far too long a period”. 

He is recommending that councillors give planning permission. 

But he said: “If, however, subsequently the revised conditions on that new permission are not satisfied the council would be in a robust position at a later date to take the necessary enforcement action.”