Travelling showman hits back in Enborne site expansion row
The owner of the travelling showpeople site in Enborne, proposed for expansion, has accused objectors of being both ignorant and prejudiced.
He says “inflammatory” leaflets have been posted through the doors of Enborne residents “falsely claiming” the site at Long Copse Farm will become the biggest gypsy site in the UK.
“This is both untrue and ridiculous,” said Martin Burton, a showman of 50 years, and who has owned the site at Long Copse Farm for 25 years.
He is also a former government advisor on travelling showpeople.
“Travelling showpeople and gyspy travellers are very different and do not make good bedfellows,” he said.
“I am at a loss as to why they think this.
“Yes – we both live in caravans on the road, but we need a base.
“We put on shows and circuses and have a very different outlook on society than gypsy travellers.
“The Save Enborne leaflet that was put through people’s doors is an absolute disgrace.
“The picture shows piles of scrap everywhere.
“This is a deliberate attempt by some people to upset others in the area.
“We have repeatedly offered to enter into a legal agreement which will ensure only travelling showpeople live here.
“We travel the length and breadth of the country, but need a base.
“I am not a gyspy. I’ve owned caravans worth more than a lot of flats in my time.
“The leaflet claims this will be the biggest gyspy site in the UK. That is just not true.
“The planning application gives very clear assurances.
“The parish council here would be better off working with us to find a good solution rather than threatening judicial reviews of the [West Berkshire] council planning procedure.
His reaction follows a public meeting held in Enborne last week, where, according to some reports, parents of Enborne primary school pupils said they feared for the safety of their children should the application for 24 pitches go ahead.
There is already permission for seven pitches on the 15-acre site. The pitches include storage units for equipment. But the row has been rumbling on for years.
The parish council has also threatened legal action and locals fear an attempt to subvert the permission for a travelling showpeople site into a gypsy traveller site.
West Berkshire Council says that the planning authority is “obliged to assess the application as presented, rather than any speculative future change”, but adds that planning permission would be required for any future change of use.
WBC “can impose any conditions it considers necessary, reasonable and relevant to planning and the proposal”, which “could include limitations of physical works [without further consent] or stipulations about how precisely the land is used” and advise “what planning conditions would be appropriate in relation to the use and any physical operational development”.
Council officers have not yet reached a recommended position, and the matter has yet to be scheduled for decision.
In July, a top legal team was hired to fight the council in court.
Enborne Parish Council has appointed Irwin Mitchell LLP to act on its behalf in opposing the plans.
“This is a very big step for us because we are opposing plans that our district council has put forward,” it said.
“We remain hopeful that our district councillors will represent us in this matter.
“The first step for our legal team is to formulate an objection to the current application and thereafter we will be able to review other legal options to hold our district council to account.
“There are now over 100 local people concerned about this issue.
“Enborne, with the support of our neighbouring Hamstead Marshall Parish Council, will continue to speak up for our community.”
The parish council says the site area was recently increased and now includes land outside the designated area of a planning policy and also includes land where there is ongoing ‘enforcement’ action for previous unlawful development near ancient woodland.
“It should be noted that whilst the application refers to 24 plots, there is no limitation on the level of occupancy or number of caravans on the site,” it says.
In January 2024 Enborne Parish Council began work to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan.
It said: “As part of our early research we identified proposals by West Berkshire Council to designate approximately 10 acres of land in the parish as a sort of caravan site/yard for travelling showpeople.
“Whilst many people are aware of Zippo’s Circus, the extent of the proposed development on agricultural fields to the north and west of the established yard would substantially change the character of the area and have a harmful impact on neighbour’s amenity, ecology, landscape character, local services and infrastructure.
“There is no proposal to limit or control the number of new residents on the site.
“For comparison, if the development was for conventional housing at a normal density of 30 dwellings per hectare, it would equate to 120 new homes, with potentially hundreds of new residents and associated vehicle movements, etc.
“And under recent revisions to the application to increase the site area to nearly 15 acres, this comparative would increase to 180 new homes.”
If the council officers are minded to recommend the application for approval it will go to the western area planning committee for determination.
If it is felt it has district-wide implications, it may be referred to the district planning committee.
It’s therefore possible a decision could be reached by the end of October.
