Plans for a traveller site in north Shropshire have been refused after council planners expressed concerns over flooding.

In the latest chapter of a long running saga over a change of use for the parcel of land around three miles from Ellesmere, Shropshire Council said not enough information had been provided to address concerns over access to and from the site during “peak flood events”.

Applicant Ms Roberts had applied to build four caravan pitches alongside several utility buildings in addition to the site’s existing use as horse stabling.

The application was a resubmission of a scheme lodged in 2022, which was withdrawn last year, with the number of pitches revised down to four from five. The council had previously instigated enforcement action against a mobile home sited on the land in May 2019.

A supporting statement supplied with the application said the site would help to meet a shortfall of traveller pitches in the area, which should weigh in its favour.

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“The application site comprises an irregular section of land containing existing stable buildings currently in use by the applicant for the keeping of horses, along with a substantial area of existing hardstanding,” said planning agent Samuel Brown of Phillip Brown Associates.

“The proposed development would be largely screened from local views by existing trees and hedgerows. “

The statement added that while the site was located in open countryside, it was not considered remote, and the occupants would have access to local amenities.

The scheme received 38 letters of objection from the public, with a further 13 people writing in to support the application. Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council objected, saying they had “serious concerns” about some of the information presented with the application.

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In a report, Shropshire Council’s planning team said they had confirmed with the authority’s Gypsy Liaison Officer the applicant and her family had a strong local connection, and do not currently have permanent pitches.

They said the scheme would have “little impact” on the area due to the level of screening provided by trees and hedges on the site.

However, flooding concerns identified by council ecologists showed that while the caravan pitches would sit in an area with a low risk of flooding, known as flood zone 1, access to and from the site could potentially be cut off if watercourses near the site were to overflow.

“Around half of the site falls within flood zones 2 and 3 including part of the site’s access, although the caravan pitches themselves would be sited in flood zone 1,” the report added.

“Subsequent information submitted by third parties raised further concerns about the flooding of the site, with photos provided to evidence this. 

“Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that future occupants of the site would be able to safely access and egress from the site during a peak flood event or that the proposed foul water drainage system would operate correctly during a flood event.”