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Residents pay for travellers battle
Residents of a Chorley village fighting a travellers' campsite on their doorstep have pledged to fund their own legal battle to get it removed.
Homeowners are preparing to instruct their own lawyers in the ongoing fight to clear the Hut Lane site in Heath Charnock.
They are preparing a case against the families who moved on to the land.
The travelling community of 16 adults and 16 children, in 12 caravans, rolled on to the land in June after buying it and securing planning permission for stables. The families, headed by land-owners Michael Linfoot and Joseph Boswell, claim to be bedding in for Christmas ahead of an appeal.
The date for the hearing, March 23, is when the travellers will learn their fate after losing a bid to make the site their permanent home.
Olde Stoneheath Court resident Peter Gilding, who lives close to the site, said: "Twenty-three of the 24 families that access their homes via Hut Lane remain united in absolute objection to this caravan park, in view of its devastating effect on our local greenbelt amenity. This is compounded by the blatant and sustained deception leading up to the unlawful occupation of the land.
"We have engaged professional legal support on our case, at considerable expense, and are confident that our facts are clear, our argument strong and our determination undiminished to fight what we believe to be as much a moral case of right versus wrong, as much as a planning one.
"We have no issue with travellers in general, but we will actively challenge any individual who deliberately deceives to gain presence at a location of their choice, rather than one democratically determined through planning policy and public consultation."
The appeal will be overseen by an inspector who will listen to representations from residents, travellers and Chorley Council.
The travellers have already instructed their own legal team.
Mr Linfoot said: "We have to wait and see what the inspector's decision is once it's made and we hope that it goes in our favour.
"This is our home now and we feel settled.
"We have never stayed in one place for as long as this before.
"We are getting ready to celebrate Christmas and we hope to celebrate the next 10 or more here; we will fight on."
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
