Illegal Gypsy encampment close to Darwen's oldest park refused planning permission - here's what happens next

The landowner at Hall Moss Farm – close to Whitehall Park – was seeking a change of use from agriculture to a Gypsy caravan site, including six plots – each with a static and two mobile caravans. In addition, the application also sought permission for a utility block, porous stone hard standing and associated fencing.

The planning application has now been assessed through Blackburn with Darween Council’s planning process – underpinned by national planning policy – and it has been refused on five grounds:

• The principle of the development
• The detrimental impact on the highway network, including public rights of ways
• Visual impact
• Ecological issues
• Lack of assessment on the impact on the landscape character

The applicant has a right of appeal against the decision to the Planning Inspectorate.

A Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesman said: “We issued a stop notice and Enforcement Notice in July 2024 to stop all engineering works, including the provision of utility services (water, electricity, etc.), the importing and depositing of waste material for hard services, and to prevent the unlawful residential use of the land there, requiring the removal of all caravans and associated works.

“The Enforcement Notice set out that the land must be returned to the condition it was before. Legally, we must give an appropriate amount of time to allow this to happen.”

Timeframe

The council added: “Following an appeal by the landowner, the Planning Inspector upheld our enforcement notice. However, the nine months we had originally allowed from July 2024 has been extended to nine months from April this year due to the retrospective planning application being submitted.

Now that the decision relating to the planning application has been formally released, we will continue to monitor and review the enforcement proceedings on the advice of our legal advisors.