Travellers vow to fight over site

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Travellers who set up an unauthorised camp on their own plot of land have said they will stay, despite the site being refused planning permission.

In May, six families moved on to a plot at Rossett, near Wrexham, which they bought last year.

Wrexham council officials are preparing to take enforcement action to force the families off the site after a planning application was rejected on Monday.

A spokesman for the families said they planned to appeal.

The spokesman, who gave his name as Jeremy, said they would take their fight to court if necessary.

Their decision to refuse us didn't come as a surprise - we'd expected it from the start Travellers' spokesman

He added: "This could go on for years. We've spent an awful lot of money on this site.

"We've put in hard-standing for each of the caravans, we've got a septic tank installed and we're now waiting for the electricity to be connected.

"There's no space available on official sites for miles around. We've been waiting years for the council to do something, but now we've done it ourselves.

"Their decision to refuse us didn't come as a surprise - we'd expected it from the start."

The council has said the site is in an area of special landscape, and its development conflicts with the unitary development plan.

Chief planning officer Lawrence Isted said the site was on a flood plain and was "unacceptable" and "undesirable," even though there was still an "unmet need" for more accommodation for travelling families in the Wrexham area.

In May, the travellers admitted targeting a bank holiday weekend to move on to the site, when most council workers would be on holiday.