BY granting planning permission for a gypsy and traveller site at the Round House, Marley Head, the adults and children living there would be relieved of the stress caused by the threat of eviction, the committee was told.

Cher Ricard told the committee that the families had nowhere else to go. They had lived there for two years and had tried to settle in with the community. Many had jobs in the area and the children went to local schools.

Miss Ricard was applying for the change of use from an HGV training centre to gypsy and traveller site accommodating up to 25 pitches, and the construction of a bin storage area.

'Your decision will affect all the families and children on the site. We would be willing to reduce the number of pitches to what the committee considers suitable,' she said.

'The visual impact is no worse than the HGV training centre. This is your opportunity to have a transit site. This is a brown field site and gives the opportunity to take account of all communities.'

Miss Ricard added that the community's carbon footprint was less than the national average.

Planning director Chris France told members the Regional Spacial Strategy (RSS) had not yet been adopted, though it was likely that the Dartmoor National Park Authority would be given an allocation of 27 transit pitches.

'This application is for permanent change of use,' he said.

Stephen Purser said while he had sympathy for the application, regrettably he had to agree with the officer's recommendation to refuse.

'This is neither fish nor fowl. It does not fall as a gypsy site or travellers' site. I think there is merit in this site, but I think it needs looking at further,' he stated.

John Young said he was struggling with one of the reasons for refusal – 'an absence of overriding need'.

'I am struggling with that one when there are people resident. What happens next? They cannot easily vanish and we cannot brush this under the carpet,' said Mr Young.

Replying, Mr France said the RSS stated there was not a need to provide a permanent site in the national park.

He said because it was people's homes, officers had been working with the gypsy liaison officer and had addressed human rights issues, but had also had to look at it in the context of planning policy.

Mr France made it clear that if the application was turned down, it did not mean the site would be cleared tomorrow. It would be a long process and there might be an appeal.

Nigel Hoskin said there was clearly a need to proceed with policies, but it could well be that they would have to look at the site as a transit in the future.

Members refused the application.

The chairman, Trevor Smale, said officers had taken the committee's comments on board and would continue to work with the gypsy liaison officer and others involved.