Row over travelling showpeople site rages in Enborne as fundraiser is launched to take West Berkshire Council to court

Enborne has gone into battle mode – again.

The village is driving a fundraiser to get more cash to take West Berkshire Council to court.

This time last year, Enborne Parish Council appointed Irwin Mitchell LLP to act on its behalf in opposing plans for a 24-caravan travelling showpeople site.

It has now put the ‘wheels in motion’ as it says ‘more’ fundraising is needed to support the legal challenge.

It has already received a lot of donations, but doesn’t say how much.

The parish council is leading the charge, and told a packed council meeting last week that: “Hundreds of local people have asked us to challenge this planning policy which is not needed and which would cause damage to our small rural community.”

In January 2024 Enborne Parish Council began work to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan.

“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 Zippos 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 neighbours’ 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.”

Work on the Neighbourhood Plan has since been paused.

Zippos Circus founder Martin Burton said in 2015: “It’s my land to house my showmen.

“I own 50 acres in the Enborne Valley, the increase would take a little over 10 acres so it’s a small proportion.

“I believe that residents are concerned that they will get other travellers other than showmen on my site – I would not offer accommodation to anyone other than circus folk – the planning consent, if it comes will be specific to circus showmen.”

But both Hamstead Marshall Parish Council and Enborne Parish Council are objecting, along with dozens of other individuals.

“The municipal and rural infrastructure of Enborne cannot support the proposed increase of the 24 additional temporary dwellings, which will have adverse consequences for the parishioners of the Enborne community and its current facilities, which are under pressure,” wrote Hamstead Marshall Parish Council.

Enborne Parish Council says West Berkshire Council – which will ultimately decide the application’s fate – appears to be preparing its planning policy without due regard to planning law, citing ‘national’ and ‘strategic’ shortages rather than considering the reality on the ground in West Berkshire.