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Inspector rejects unauthorised traveller site appeal in Wiltshire countryside
A planning inspector has rejected Leeroy Johnstone’s appeal to keep an unauthorised traveller site in protected countryside near Clyffe Pypard, Wiltshire. Wiltshire Council may now take enforcement action requiring him to clear the site and restore the land, a decision welcomed by villagers who said it damaged the rural setting.
The site, established in 2023, includes three caravans, hardstanding and five-foot-high fencing in the North Wessex Downs. Inspector Laura Cuthbert said it failed to conserve the area’s natural beauty and special qualities; Johnstone had argued that his children and grandchildren needed somewhere to live. The planning case follows a separate High Court ruling that found the Earl of Inchcape owned woodland Johnstone had claimed and barred him from entering it.
In short
- Planning appeal rejected for an unauthorised site in Wiltshire.
- The council may require the land to be restored.
- A separate court ruling also went against Johnstone.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The inspector’s decision can be defended on the grounds that protected countryside has planning rules intended to conserve its landscape and character for the wider public. The caravans, hardstanding and fencing were found inconsistent with those aims, and enforcing restoration would uphold the planning system and avoid granting an advantage from building without permission.
The case against
Johnstone’s appeal can be understood as giving weight to his family’s need for a secure place to live, including accommodation for his children and grandchildren. A thoughtful case against removal would argue that enforcement should take account of the practical consequences for the family and consider whether a suitable alternative site or other accommodation can be found.
Explained simply
Planning rules apply to land in the countryside as well as to towns, and protected areas such as the North Wessex Downs have added safeguards for their landscape. An unauthorised site is one built or used without the required planning permission; an appeal lets the person responsible ask an independent inspector to review the council’s planning decision.
The case involves Leeroy Johnstone, who said the site was needed as a home for his children and grandchildren, and Wiltshire Council, which is responsible for planning enforcement. A separate court case over who owned nearby woodland dealt with land ownership, while the planning case concerns whether the site can remain and how it affects the protected landscape.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “The travellers vs the Earl: Traveller who turned idyllic beauty spot into illegal ‘prison camp’ must tear it down after losing three-year battle with angry villagers”.