New travellers' site application lodged for Arkley Green Belt land

Barnet Council is considering a new planning application for a site intended for 12 travellers' caravans, located on approximately one and a quarter acres of land off Rowley Lane in Arkley. The proposed site is situated within the Green Belt and is bordered by Rowley Lane and Windmill Lane.

The application comes after Barnet Council's unsuccessful attempt in April to prevent the establishment of a separate travellers' caravan site on a field off Mays Lane, also in Arkley. An effort to obtain a full judicial review of a planning inspector's decision that favoured the travellers at the Mays Lane site was rejected by the High Court. This ruling permitted the preparation of that site for two static caravans, two mobile homes, and two day rooms.

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Residents have raised objections to the Rowley Lane proposal, citing concerns that the caravans would overlook their properties and lead to further damage to an area designated for nature conservation. Woodland has already been cleared to create an access point from Rowley Lane. Significantly, mature oak trees on the plot have been felled without the necessary permission.

Robin Bishop, who leads on planning and the environment for The Barnet Society, stated that the organisation was strongly inclined to object. He noted that the application would contravene Green Belt and Travellers policies within Barnet's Local Plan. Mr Bishop also described the unauthorised felling of protected trees as outrageous and warned that approval would set a worrying precedent for other green spaces in the area.

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The Rowley Lane application, which seeks approval for six pitches each accommodating a static and a touring caravan, has been submitted through an agent, Philip Brown Associates of Rugby. Objections have been lodged by residents of Windmill Lane, who argue that approval would breach Green Belt policy and could encourage further development in woodland areas, which the applicant has suggested should be designated as "grey belt".

Precedent and future applications

The felling of trees on the Rowley Lane plot occurred earlier this year, prompting protests to Barnet Council from Arkley residents. The plot is part of a ten-acre woodland sold for a combined total of £1.3 million. Gina Theodorou, chair of the Quinta Village Green Residents’ Association, which opposed the Mays Lane site, expressed fears that the council's inability to halt the Mays Lane scheme would lead to more applications for travellers' sites in Arkley's Green Belt.

As of the latest reports, no work appears to have commenced on preparing the Mays Lane site, which was previously used for grazing horses. The Quinta Village Green Residents’ Association, despite its disappointment with the High Court's decision, remains committed to protecting the Green Belt along Mays Lane.