Village fundraising to oppose travellers' site

The unauthorised site is on Kayte Lane in Southam

Villagers are hoping to raise more than £10,000 to oppose an unauthorised travellers' site.

Residents of Southam, near Cheltenham, say the community is facing increasing pressure from development and want to protect the green belt for future generations.

Retrospective proposals to use the land as a traveller site were refused by Tewkesbury Borough Council in November.

An appeal has been lodged and a planning inspector will decide the fate of the plans.

'Swallowed up'

Villagers say green belt land mitigates the effects of climate change, with open meadows and fields also helping prevent flooding and providing wildlife habitats.

They say it also protects Southam’s unique character as a village and prevents it being “swallowed up” by Bishop’s Cleeve and Cheltenham, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Residents say they want to raise the funds to pay for a planning specialist to represent the parish council in objecting to the unauthorised development on Kayte Lane.

“If we manage to raise enough funds to support this goal any surplus funds will be held by the parish council and used to fund future planning support to protect Southam green belt," they said.

“Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a significant difference. Together, we can ensure that Southam’s green belt remains a source of pride and beauty for generations to come.”