A gipsy family made a heartfelt plea to overturn a refusal to let them live on a private site, saying it will rob their children of a settled base and proper education.
Jeffrey and Beth Penfold have been living unlawfully on the site for more than a year, after a refused application to pitch their caravans on their agricultural land in Teigngrace.
The Penfolds would like to site two mobile homes, two touring caravans and a utility block for themselves and their two daughters. The application was turned down by Teignbridge Council in June for planning and highway issues and because the site was not deemed to be in a sustainable location. Tom Wilson, a planning officer at Teignbridge Council, said that consent had been refused because the development was contrary to policy, the road was inadequate to cope with extra traffic and a lack of amenities and alternative travel made the location unsuitable. Sarah Green, of South West Law Ltd, said: 'If they don't have a settled base it will increase their journeys and travelling, and there is no other alternative for this family. When considering all the factors, this is the only option they have left.'
Mrs Penfold said they had been searching for years for another suitable site, but each plot was found unsuitable by the council. Maggie Smith-Bendall, a Romany gipsy liaison officer, said, 'When I go to estate agents to look for pockets of land for caravans or mobile homes, the blinds quickly come down and conditions are immediately put on the land to stop any such development.'
The family put forward that they were fitting in well with the rest of the community and that Mr Penfold had established a base of customers in the area for his work, making spar sticks for thatches, which he carries out on the land adjacent to the site.
Their youngest daughter attends the local pre-school and they said she was happy there and they wouldn't like to uproot her. Their elder daughter is on a childcare course, which, they say, she would have to give up if they were to move. 'I know we are unlawful at the moment, but at least we are not causing anyone else problems,' said Mrs Penfold.
Cllr Joan Lambert said that although she knew they were part of the local community the council also had to look at trying to retain the countryside, saying it was a case of 'balancing the good, the bad and the ugly'. Mrs Smith-Bendall countered that: 'It seems that gipsies have got to be seen and not heard. They are part of this country's history, but it seems in the last few years we are being pushed to hide ourselves.
'We are part of the countryside and have been for the past six or seven hundred years.' Mr Wilson said: 'We need to asses whether the council's concerns outweigh their human rights concerns.' Mrs Smith-Bendall said they would be forced to return to a life of travelling from camp to camp, moving the problem on to other landowners and councils in other regions, asking: 'How long are these people going to be left in limbo?' The inspector, Gerry Hollington, visited the site and his decision will be announced at a later date.