PLANS to turn a piece of open countryside into a caravan site for gipsies has been refused.

Councillors went against the recommendation of their officers after expressing concerns about access to-and-from the garden nursery site off the Evesham Road at Egdon, an inadequate electricity supply for the development, and noise affecting a neighbouring property.

It was also noted there was a history of flooding on the site, while the families’ need to stay on the site was also called into question.

At Wychavon’s development control committee Drakes Broughton Councillor Paul Middlebrough, who is leader of the council, said: “This is a very poor application.

“There are far too many issues to even consider accepting it. You should throw it out and maybe they could come back with a more complete application.”

In the report it said two gipsy families occupied the site which had a total of three caravans, one of which was used for storage, complete with a washroom facility and gravel hardstandings.

There had previously been two touring caravans and two static caravans.

There is an occupied house next to the piece of land and councillors said they were worried the permanent building could be surrounded by more caravans in the future should the application be accepted.

Councillors Pam Davey and Judy Pearce said they appreciated there is a need to provide gypsy sites across the district but added they thought that did not mean every application should be accepted.

Coun Pearce said: “I don’t think we should let political correctness blind us. We need to drive a straight path on this one, however difficult that might be.”

Coun Pearce said there was evidence the families were on a housing waiting list in 2006 which made her think they could be found permanent accommodation. Both Coun Middlebrough and Upton Snodsbury Councillor Linda Robinson said they had received numerous calls from residents opposing the plans, but added many were too frightened to put their views down in writing.

Coun Middlebrough said previous applications to develop the site by others had been turned down because of traffic concerns.

“It is a very dangerous stretch of road,” he said.

Although the county council’s highways department had not objected to the plans in the report, a representative at the meeting confirmed it would back Wychavon’s refusal for development should any objections be lodged.

The Government has announced £97 million will be spent on creating 7,500 new gipsy and traveller sites across the country.

Where they will be created is not yet known, but details are expected to be announced in the next few weeks.

There are currently nine residential sites for gipsies and travellers in Worcestershire accommodating 121 families.

They are: Lower Heath, Watery Lane, Stourport-on-Severn; Hipton Hill, Lenchwick, near Evesham; Broad Road, Sandy Lane, Sandy Lane Industrial Estate, Stourport-on-Severn; Smite, Pershore Lane, Smite; Waterside Park, Offerton Lane, Warndon, Worcester; Pinvin, near Pershore; Cleeve Prior, Evesham Road, near Evesham; Malvern Meadows, Blackmore, Malvern; Hinton-on-the-Green, near Evesham.