Somerset County Herald 22 Nov 1958 Chard Worker's Appeal Caravan Site Bathpool Mr J. W. OSTLER Caravan Dyers Lane Bathpool inc Mr and Mrs PRING Tanpits Farm

Sarah Hawkins Genealogy Site
Newspaper Articles


Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier. Saturday 22 Nov 1958

Page 10 Column 8


Chard Worker's Appeal

Caravan Site Near Taunton

A Chard iron foundry worker, Mr. J. W. OSTLER, and his wife, have lived in a caravan at Dyer's Lane, Bathpool, since last December which was one week after the planning authority had refused Mr. and Mrs. PRING (the owners) permission to use this land as a site for 20 caravans.

A Ministry inspector, Mr. R. T. RUSSELL, was told this at Taunton on Tuesday when Mr. OSTLER appealed against the authority's refusal to allow his caravan there.

Mr. L. A. D. RUSSELL, area planning officer, said that Bathpool was a village of pleasant rural character, but its amenity value had been seriously depleted by the introduction of caravan sites. At a recent count there were 41 vans on five established sites and eight on isolated sites.

Had Licence

Mr. OSTLER said that for six years his caravan was on The Orchard Park site near the railway bridge at Bathpool, but the land was sold last December and the site was closed. He had been unable to find a place on any other licensed or private site. He must live at the Bathpool end of the town because he had 20 minutes' walk every morning to catch the 7 o'clock bus to Chard. His van was not causing obstruction on the site and he had a licence under the Public Health Act to be there.

“We are at our wits end to know what to do if this appeal fails,” he added.

In reply to Mr. H. R. MANSFIELD (representing the planning authority), Mr. OSTLER said the Taunton Rural Council gave him the licence under the Public Health Act last May. Some time after going there he heard that Mr. and Mrs. PRING, of Tanpits Farm (the owners) had been refused planning permission to make it a caravan site. He had been on the Taunton Rural Council housing list for two years, “but, having no children, my chance is not very good.”

Caused Concern

Mr. MANSFIELD said that one of the main approach roads to Taunton goes through Bathpool, the village being more or less astride the trunk road, and caravans in the area had caused concern to the planning authority for some time. They were not for holiday use, but for private residential accommodation. There was considerable pressure for more land to be used as residential caravan sites.

Last December, and again in May, permission was refused for 20 caravans to go on the land where Mr. OSTLER was staying on grounds of amenity and road safety. If one caravan were allowed, it would be the thin end of the wedge in asking for more. Although it could not be said that Mr. OSTLER's caravan was conspicuous, there were a number of sites in the area where van could be reasonably well screened. The planning authority were most adverse to the indiscriminate siting of the caravans at Bathpool. There was room for six more vans on the Blue Star site at Bathpool.

The inspector visited the site an the Ministry's decision will be announced later.


Back to Miscellaneous Page

Back to Home Page