COUNCILLORS have unanimously refused a bid to place a traveller caravan on green belt land.

Thurrock's planning committee rejected plans for a residential traveller site on a parcel of land on the western side of Mill Lane in Fobbing.

Councillors heard the remote 50m wide by 100m deep plot has no link to services such as sewers and access to the site is owned by someone else.

Cllr Terry Piccolo said: "I've got concerns over the site. One of the concerns is it's a very large site. If we give occupancy to part of it what could take place on the rest of the site?

"It's going to be like a pimple on a haystack. It will look out of character for the area. Access to the site is also a big concern. I'm concerned about the site developing going forward."

Cllr Sue Little also had concerns. She said: "I think we would be opening up a can of worms. It wouldn't just end up as one, it would be several. I'm concerned about the services, particularly the sewage.

"They could just do a soakaway which would add to pollution. You've got the idea of them walking up and down with their wheelie bins along a half-a-mile lane. I just think it's a totally inappropriate place to be."

In support of his plan the applicant submitted a statement saying he, his father and grandfather are travellers and his wife is from another traveller family. Their children attend local schools.

In a report to the committee, planning officers, said: "This application seeks full planning permission for change of use of the site from agricultural to residential, and for the stationing of a static caravan for residential use by a traveller family.

"While the circumstances of the applicant's family – in particular his children – are noted and understood the development would be harmful to the character, appearance, and amenity value of the green belt and no special circumstances have been provided that would override those harms to the benefit of the wider public interest."