I AM advised the area around our premises is being considered for a ‘transit’ site for the travelling community.

I AM advised the area around our premises is being considered for a ‘transit’ site for the travelling community.

Our first complaint is the fact that we only found out about this when local residents asked if we were selling our land to the council for use by travellers. This is causing bad feeling in the area and we are afraid that this may lead to customers boycotting our goods and services through ignorance of the facts.

As you will note from the plan of the area, nobody will be more affected by this proposal than this company.

Why then were we not informed by Huntingdonshire District Council that the assessment was taking place?

We only managed to achieve permission for use of this site in 1989 by appealing directly to a committee as the planning department saw fit to recommend refusal on the grounds that our proposed show centre would be a ‘blight’ on the surrounding countryside.

Some years later as the company expanded, we were once again refused permission to extend our premises. The reason given was that the extension was deemed as ‘overdeveloping’ the site. We went to appeal and lost.

It will be interesting to see how the planning department can approve the backing of a gypsy transit site when records show that they historically refused permission for a legitimate award-winning business.

We are a retail business that relies on customers visiting our showrooms. We have spent vast sums of money over the past 11 years upgrading and maintaining the site while the surrounding area has been left to fall into a state of decay. The current owners of next door have never so much as cut the grass in the time that they have owned the plot. We have paid to have their grass cut in order to maintain appearances. We have received no assistance with this work from the local authority which even declines to provide a refuse collection service for the site.

The development of the land for use by gypsies would severely impact on the number of potential clients wishing to visit our showrooms which would be surrounded by the proposed site. To suggest that this can be mitigated by fencing is ridiculous.

As a local employer and business we will oppose any proposed development of this site for travellers use by any legal means, in the interests of our staff, clients and the residents of Alconbury and the Stukeleys.

STEVE THOROGOOD

Managing Director

Admiral Homespace

Alconbury