New Travellers’ Pitches Proposed Near Allotments in Somerset Village

Plans have been submitted to create two travellers’ pitches and a communal day room on East Mead Lane in Walton, a small village near Street, Somerset. The proposed site lies just west of the village allotments and close to a planned residential and commercial development behind The Royal Oak pub.

Currently, the land is occupied by five stables and an agricultural barn, which was approved for construction in 2021. The new proposal includes two mobile home pitches, space for two touring caravans, and a communal day room. An access road would connect the site to East Mead Lane from the north, with parking and vehicle turning space designed to accommodate cars and caravans.

The site will be screened from the allotments and surrounding countryside by a combination of existing mature hedgerows and new planting to provide privacy and blend with the rural environment. The applicants, an ethnic gypsy and traveller family, are seeking a secure, permanent pitch in response to the recognized shortage of traveller sites in the Mendip area.

A spokesperson from Stokes Morgan Planning Ltd, representing Mr. Mark Goddard, highlighted that the location offers easy walking access to Walton village and nearby bus stops with regular services to Street and other destinations. The entrance’s width allows safe access for towing caravans, ensuring the development is functional as well as sensitive to local needs.

The site falls within the River Brue catchment area, which requires strict measures to prevent any net increase in phosphates affecting the Somerset Levels and Moors. To address this, the proposal includes installing two package treatment plants to chemically treat the sewage and significantly reduce phosphate discharge into nearby watercourses.

Somerset Council is expected to decide on the application by early autumn, with the potential to provide much-needed permanent pitches in this suitable and well-considered location.