South Cambridgeshire District Council has visited a Gypsy and Traveller site in Chesterton today (Wednesday 15 October) to help ensure the site is meeting planning regulations.
South Cambridgeshire District Council has visited a Gypsy and Traveller site in Chesterton today (Wednesday 15 October) to help ensure the site is meeting planning regulations.
The Council spoke with residents living in approximately 100 caravans at the Fen Road site to understand who is living on there and to understand whether they were complying with relevant planning conditions. They also checked what caravans were on site against the total number permitted.
This proactive step follows concerns that authorised pitches were being used for purposes that they had not been approved for. It forms part of the Council’s wider action to ensure Gypsy and Traveller sites are safe, lawful, and used for their intended purpose in line with planning policies.
Cllr Bridget Smith, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “This visit was an important step in understanding how Fen Road – which is made up of many smaller sites – is being used and ensuring those sites meet planning standards. We’re committed to working fairly and respectfully with all residents, and this fact-finding exercise helps us gather the information we need to support safe, lawful, and inclusive communities. We now need to spend some time going through all of the information that we’ve gathered – and any future actions will be guided by what we found out during our visit and will follow clear processes. We’re committed to ensuring that authorised sites are used for their intended purpose, and are safe places to live, as outlined in the Local Plan. We know through our Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment – a part of the evidence that sits behind the Local Plan – that there is a future need for a number of pitches in South Cambridgeshire – which is why it is so important to ensure that pitches that already have permission are being used in the way intended. If they are not, the priority is to ensure they are brought back into use for Gypsy and Travellers.”
Officers from a range of services were present to talk to residents and provide advice. Language support was also provided to ensure all residents could engage fully with the Council. Police were present to provide support where required.
All information gathered from talking to each resident will now be assessed carefully. If any breaches are identified, for example in planning, licensing or Council Tax, the Council will follow lawful and proportionate processes to address them.
This is the first step in a longer process, and any future actions will be taken in line with legal requirements and with sensitivity to the needs of the community living there, including housing needs of residents.
Cllr Smith added: “The timeline to take any appropriate action is governed by the legal process. We must ensure we thoroughly assess the information we have gathered and follow the necessary steps to get the best outcome that is fair and right by all our residents.”
The District Council has already secured an injunction at The Laurels – one of the Fen Road sites – to stop any further caravans or mobile homes being put there. This followed a fire at the site earlier this year which damaged a number of mobile homes. The order was granted in the High Court in May. The injunction runs until 1 May 2026.
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